


To Tame a Magpie

by TheDVirus



Category: Loki: Agent of Asgard, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Animal Transformation, Enemies to Friends, Eventual Romance, Fish out of Water, Forgiveness, Friendship, Loki Redemption, M/M, Magic, Magic-Users, Marvel Universe, New York City, Redemption, Uneasy Allies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-25
Updated: 2018-02-11
Packaged: 2018-11-18 22:15:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 52,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11299938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDVirus/pseuds/TheDVirus
Summary: Sequel to 'The Laughter of Magpies'. (AU: no Thor 2, set after Age of Ultron) Loki finds himself stranded in New York, freed from his cell on Asgard and his magic on the fritz. When Steve Rogers finds him, Loki lies that he wants to redeem himself. But as he slowly gets to know Steve, Loki's lie starts evolving into truth...





	1. A Stray in the Rain

**Author's Note:**

> Based on story elements from 'Loki: Agent of Asgard' comic.  
> This fic was started while 'Thor Ragnarok' was still in production. Therefore the depiction of Hela is drawn from the comics (Particularly the young Loki storylines from 'Journey into Mystery and 'Loki Agent of Asgard' rather than the MCU movie.  
> I hope you all enjoy!

Loki felt rain on his face.  
This was impossible.

Realising that he was outside, Loki began to sit up carefully.  
He felt rough marks beneath his fingers and examined the runes burned into the ground around him.  
They were fading quickly, the golden light of the magic that had empowered them dwindling now its task had been completed. Loki was sitting in the remains of a magic circle, green smoke churning around the perimeter. A nearby metal bin seemed to have been cut neatly in half from exposure to the materialization field. Pieces of charred paper swirled around him and a sharp smell of burning filled the air.

So, a teleportation spell had brought him here.  
Feeling his hair with his hand, he realised the rain was real enough. He had not expected to ever feel a real breeze again. Never mind the sensation of rain running down his shirt collar.  
It was already losing its novelty.  
Standing up, he saw he was in a badly lit alley. He could hear strange sounds, almost like rhythmic whistling. It took him a moment to identify the sound. Sirens?  
Detecting no injuries, he stood up properly and began to walk towards the light at the end of the alley. Peeking beyond the corner, he saw distinctive yellow cars bustling for position on a busy road. He was in a city, brightly lit skyscrapers towering above him and people jostling for position huddled beneath umbrellas on the busy pavements.  
Midgard?  
And New York no less?!

Seeing three bystanders looking at his position, he realised his arrival may have attracted undue attention. One of them was dressed in the uniform of a New York lawman and one of the citizens was gesturing towards the alley. The sirens he had first heard were also getting louder. There would be time to figure out how he got there later. Right now, he had to become inconspicuous.  
Focusing, he felt feathers grow from his fingers and his body shrink and lighten. A seemingly ordinary magpie took wing and flew out of the alley just as the lawman turned the corner.

Landing a block away in another alley, Loki took a moment to compose himself.  
The short flight had been taxing. It had been a while since he had exercised his natural limbs, never mind those he didn't usually have. He cleaned his wing and considered his situation.  
He was a lone wanted criminal in enemy territory and he had no idea why he was there or how he had gotten there.

'Alright', Loki thought sardonically, 'So what's the bad news?'

Flitting down to the floor of the alley, Loki paced.  
It was unwise to resume his true, humanoid, shape. Midgardians had not forgotten his last visit and were unlikely to forgive it.  
But he didn't fancy remaining a magpie either. The waterproof feathers were a benefit right now in the downpour but the diet was unappealing.

He could become a woman. Use their natural… advantages to gain further advantage: money, lodging…  
Loki shook his head.  
He was not that desperate! At least, not yet.

A disturbing rumbling cut into his musings.  
He turned and caught sight of a pair of enormous, hungry green eyes before he was suddenly grasped in a vice like grip. He cried out in surprise and in fear at the monster hovering over him, pinning him to the ground with one lethal paw. He felt claws prick his breast feathers and hot, stinking breath issue from behind icicle like teeth. He pecked upwards and the cat (for that was what it was), yowled in pain as Loki's beak met the soft flesh of its muzzle. Loki stumbled to his clawed feet and chattered angrily at the mean looking tom as it growled at him.  
The tom leapt…  
And met the teeth of an infuriated, pitch black whippet.  
Loki closed his thin yet powerful jaws around the cat's neck and shook it viciously before tossing the limp body aside. He panted, licking a wound on his chest, left over from the cat's grip on him as a magpie. As he licked, he reflected that the wound should have healed when he changed shape.  
Had his time in prison weakened him that much?

He stopped licking and watched his wound for a moment. Once he saw it begin to heal, he focused on regaining his true form.

But nothing happened.  
Loki closed his eyes and tried to calm his heart rate. He felt the magic there as it tried to reshape him but there just wasn't enough to facilitate the change.  
He seemed to be (how did Midgardians put it?) 'out of juice'?  
Unable to vocalise his frustrations, he gave a forlorn howl.

'I hear ya, I hear ya', came a voice from behind him.

Leaping to all four feet, Loki saw a man coming down the alley.

He was wearing what looked like a boiler suit with a baseball cap perched on top of his greying hair. In his hands, he was carrying a long metal stick. At the end was a thin hoop made of wire. Looking past the man, Loki could see a vehicle. He didn't understand the Midgardian acronym on the side of the vehicle but recognised the man's purpose well enough from his weapon.

'Now, now, don't get excited', the man was saying, 'Let's make this easy huh?'

Loki had never made anything easy for anybody. Least of all, a jumped up vermin catcher!

Loki lowered his head, feigning submission.

The dog catcher smiled at that and adjusted the noose at the end of the pole.  
He was about to slip it around the dog's neck when he caught sight of the dog's eyes.  
They were glowing.  
Suddenly the dog's jaws snapped open and a plume of vivid green fire shot out. The dog catcher threw himself to the side just in time. The fire consumed a nearby trash can which began to melt.

Loki smirked, sharp teeth glinting at the sweat seeping down the dog catcher's face. Fear or proximity to the heat? Either one was satisfying!  
The dog catcher, seemingly deciding whatever he was paid was not enough to deal with what appeared to be a stray hellhound, fled to his truck.  
Loki gasped in sudden exhaustion.

The 'breath of fire' spell was always draining. Non verbally, it was even more so.

A heavy 'clunking' noise heralded the dog catcher's return.  
Loki saw the Midgardian had procured another weapon.  
A 'shot-gun' he believed it was called.  
The metal glinted in the street lamp light and Loki knew he did not have time to prepare another breath of fire.  
Growling, resigned and frustrated in equal measure by his choice, he leapt for the man.  
The man pulled the trigger.  
Loki landed on his chest, his shoulder burning where the bullet had grazed him. He snarled in the man's face. Saliva dripped from his teeth as he hissed in pain.  
The dog catcher closed his eyes and cried out in fear.  
Loki felt his shoulder getting worse.  
How was it getting worse?! What was wrong with him?!  
Deciding the dog catcher was not worth his time, he leapt from the man's body and pelted away, into the crowd beyond the alley.  
He didn't know where he was going. How could he?! He didn't even know how he had gotten there!

Steve adjusted his baseball cap, looking up into the night sky.  
Rain hammered down, running down his umbrella in thick rivulets. He had hung the bag containing his dinner from the umbrella's upturned hook in a bid to keep it warm and dry. It was working so far and Steve sped up, the smell spurring him on through the wet night.  
He turned down the street leading to his apartment block. It was in a quiet neighbourhood, close to where he had been born. Most of the area was protected by various heritage societies meaning Steve found it easy to navigate despite his long absence.  
In the quiet night, he became aware of light footsteps approaching behind him. They were too fast to be human.  
Turning, he barely saw the dog before it passed him.  
It was going so fast its feet barely touched the ground.  
So fast it didn't seem to see the…road!  
Steve ran forward and despite his enhanced speed, barely managed to grip the dog's scruff.

He yanked it back from the road. A car horn blared angrily and swerved back into its lane.

The dog snapped at his hand and growled angrily. Steve hastily let go and backed off.  
He saw the dog's shoulder was bleeding.

'Easy boy. Easy', Steve said gently, lowering himself so he was kneeling at the dog's eye level, 'Be mad at me if you want. Just don't go running into that traffic okay? We got a deal?'

The thunder overhead suddenly startled the dog who whined piteously before barking angrily at the sky, running in a circle. After a couple of minutes of intense barking, the dog seemed to think better of its one-sided argument and chuffed before cocking his head in seeming confusion at Steve's continued presence.

'You're just scared is all', Steve mused.

Hitting on a strategy, he opened the bag he was carrying. The warm smell of the food billowed out in a delicious haze. It was nothing fancy (a chicken sandwich from the deli down the street) but it was warm and welcome on a rainy night.  
He reached in and took out a bit of chicken. He showed it to the dog and was rewarded with an enthusiastic wagging of the tail. He held it out and the dog approached warily. It took the chicken from Steve's hand with surprising gentleness and chomped it down with less delicacy.  
Steve knew whippets as a breed were skinny but this one had a particularly underfed, wasted look to its frame. Its coat was in good enough condition so it was unlikely to be a stray but there was no collar. The barking at the thunder also told Steve it wasn't used to being outdoors.  
He had seen a dog catcher van a couple of blocks back. Maybe he should bring the dog to them. But then again, could they be trusted to find its owner?

Suddenly, he felt a soft pressure on his resting hand.  
The whippet was licking the back of his hand, eyes turned upwards imploringly. All signs of aggression had vanished and there was a strange twinkle in its eyes. Steve expected this kind of naked manipulation from cats, not from man's best friend but he found it impossible to resist the dog's literal 'puppy dog eyes'.

'Fine. You win', Steve said with mock frustration, 'Come on boy'.

The dog barked happily and sitting down, offered a paw to Steve.

Steve took it and shook once.

The dog panted cheerily but started to whine when it saw Steve taking off his belt. It pulled back as he tried to reach for it, lips curling back ever so slightly. When Steve persisted, it whined again as it felt Steve tie the leather around its neck and buckle it.

'Sorry buddy', Steve said, 'But we're gonna have to play this right. A dog needs a leash'.

Steve surveyed his work. The dog obviously wasn't happy with the arrangement (what dog ever was?) but in the darkness and rain, he thought it looked legitimate. At least until they could make it back to his apartment.

Steve hung up his dripping umbrella then knelt down and unbuckled the makeshift leash from the dog's neck. He headed into the kitchen, the dog following at his heels.  
Steve took down a clean dishrag and running it under some warm water, cleaned out the dog's wound on its shoulder and a smaller one on its chest. The shoulder wound seemed smaller than when Steve had seen it. Had he thought it was larger because it had been bleeding heavier?

Having found some ham in the fridge for the dog, Steve sat down and ate his chicken sandwich. The dog ate hungrily and licked its plate clean before settling down and resting its head on its paws. Steve offered some extra chicken but the dog turned away, apparently full.  
Steve finished the rest of his meal and then, noticing the dog's eyes drooping got up and patted the sofa in the living room.  
The dog looked uncertain at the invitation.

'Come on. It's okay', Steve said, holding out a hand, 'You're a guest'.

The dog jumped up on the sofa and lay down. Steve grabbed a blanket resting on the back of the sofa and layered it over the dog.  
He went to the kitchen and began to load the plates into the dishwasher.

'Hope you're housebroken', Steve called as he closed it but realised the faint dog like snores had stopped.  
Walking back to the couch, he noticed the silhouette beneath the blankets had swollen in size, though not by much. Messy, black hair was peeking out above the blanket. As he watched, a pale, long fingered hand fell out from under the material, fingers twitching in slumber.

It didn't surprise Steve in the least though he thought it probably should have.

He'd gone out for a chicken sandwich and come home with a demigod who was a wanted criminal on at least two different planets. Who by all rights should have been locked up a hundred worlds away. Then again, it never paid to underestimate the god of lies.

'Only in Brooklyn…' Steve mumbled before turning out the light, content to let Loki sleep.  
For now.


	2. Kid Loki

Loki woke with a start and saw sunlight was coming through the blinds of the apartment.  
Checking his body frantically, he sighed thankfully when he saw he was still in dog form. Sometimes if the caster was injured or tired, their form wouldn't hold when they were unconscious. Thankfully this didn't seem to have happened. Obviously the soldier hadn't suspected a thing since Loki was still in his rooms and not back in a SHIELD cell.  
He hadn't meant to fall asleep. Just lay low until the rain stopped and think about his next move.  
It was all he could think of to do following the fortuitous meeting with Steve Rogers. Plus, the food and warmth from the cold rain had been pleasant bonuses. All it had cost him was a modicum of dignity by licking the soldier's hand.  
Still, what were the odds of him bumping into the only Avenger who had tried to reach out to him besides his simple minded brother? The only Avenger who wouldn't attack him on sight if he had been in his true shape? What were the odds of bumping into an Avenger at all?!  
Astronomical but very, very convenient.  
Loki distrusted that.

Hearing Steve's footsteps approaching, he closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep.  
He heard Steve leave through the front door of the apartment, and the turn of a key in the lock.  
He was alone.  
He waited a couple of minutes for safety then rolled off the sofa.  
A good night's sleep should have restored his powers. The wounds on his shoulder and chest were gone.  
He strained and after what seemed like an age, saw the change taking place.  
It was taking longer than it should have. Every muscle tensed and he panted heavily as he tried to change back into his true form. Just as he thought he had it, seeing his paws beginning to lengthen into fingers, he felt himself starting to lose it. He felt pain beginning to creep along his side and it became hard to breathe. His ribs were out of joint, caught between sizes as the change stalled.  
Desperately, he made some adjustments, primarily settling on a smaller scale to conserve energy before it really started to hurt. Thankfully he felt the change begin to flow again, the air cool on the bare skin of his face as his fur receded. He groaned and felt his tongue shorten past his now blunt teeth. He snapped his jaws as the change finished. Taking deep, soothing breaths, he shakily stood up on his two feet. He walked to a nearby wall mirror and examined his face for any residual traits of his dog form.  
He was gratified to find none.

He had become a child version of himself: to all onlookers an eleven year old human.  
Examining his form, he conjured some new, more modern clothes. A dark green hoodie, black jeans and black shoes replaced his now oversized Asgardian leather clothing.  
Checking the fit, Loki decided this form was the best idea.  
Less chance of being recognised by vengeful Midgardians or any other unfriendly forces. Thanks to his time as Asgard's prisoner, Thanos seemed to have given up trying to contact him through telepathy. His mother had also helped him increase his mental defences during her clandestine visits. Loki had told her he was having trouble sleeping which was not technically a lie. Now, Thanos hopefully had no idea where Loki was. If he had, Loki was fairly sure he would not be worried about his physical form: it would have already have been vaporised.

But that still did not explain the limits of his powers.  
The last thing he remembered was settling down to sleep in his cell before waking up the night before in the alley. Perhaps the teleportation spell that had deposited him there had affected him? Travel between realms without proper shielding could have unforeseen side effects. It was why Asgardians used the more stable and shielded bifrost to roam the galaxy over more archaic, specialized methods such as magic.  
But he had certainly not cast a spell of that magnitude. Even if he had wished to, the cell restricted his powers too much for that. So someone had broken him out. It was the only thing that made sense. But whoever had cast the spell had not broken the magical restrictions of the cell. They were still affecting him. The rising gratitude Loki had been feeling for his mystery benefactor evaporated.  
Out of a perfectly comfortable frying pan into a fire.  
Perhaps it hadn't been intended as a rescue at all. Some kind of spiteful, protracted punishment? Throwing him to the Midgardians and the Avengers like a steak to a pack of baying hounds? It wasn't impossible. Just more complex and spiteful than Asgardians were known for.

Loki pulled up his hood and headed for the window leading to the fire escape.  
Speculation was pointless at this stage and he wasn't about to just sit there stewing in ignorance. Or continue to play the part of a lap dog for Captain America.  
He climbed out of the window into the light rain and began to descend the metal stairs.  
Perhaps he would return here later though. It would be a roof over his head and the soldier, ever soft hearted, would no doubt continue to feed him until he decided to leave.  
For the purposes of this excursion however, remaining a child would also help him conserve what magic he still had. As he walked onto the street proper, he lowered his head and put both hands in his pockets.  
His magic may be slightly out of his (now shortened) reach but he had other skills.  
Skills for which this form was ideally suited.

It didn't take him long to find his first target.  
He had walked back to where he had first found himself in Midgard the previous night.  
A busy road meant people in a rush and people in a rush meant competition for the 'taxis' patrolling the area.  
One man, his accent woefully out of place, was practically dancing on one leg, trying to hail a cab with his waving arm. Loki made to walk past him and ever so slightly bumped him. The man was gesturing so wildly, it was enough to knock him off balance. Loki reacted quickly and grabbed the man, saving him from an undignified fall to the wet ground.

'Are you alright sir?' he asked politely, dusting down the man's coat.

'Yeah, thanks! That was close' the man said, 'You're strong kid. Been eatin' your greens eh?'

'I try sir', Loki said cheerily, 'Bye!'

'Yeah, you take care', the man said, brushing off his suit and checking for creases.

Loki didn't even get to pocket the man's wallet before he felt a strong hand on his shoulder. The fingers clamped down insistently but not painfully. It was a warning grip. Loki tried to pull away but found he couldn't.

Just as he couldn't stop the arresting adult's other hand prying the wallet from his fingers.

'Excuse me sir, you dropped this', said a familiar voice.

Loki's heart sank as he turned his head to look at the person who had grabbed him.  
Steve was smiling at the man as he offered the wallet back to its rightful owner.

'Oh geez! Thanks pal!' the man said before turning his attention back to the cab he had successfully hailed.

'No problem', Steve said gracefully before turning his attention to Loki.

'Let's go', Steve said to Loki and began to gently but firmly lead him back towards the apartment.

Steve practically threw Loki through the doorway, trying to ignore Loki's insistences and pleading that had dogged him all the way back home.

'Who are you mister?' Loki was asking frantically, 'It was just a prank! Please let me go! I'll be good!'

'We both know that's a lie', Steve frowned, crossing his arms, 'Been watching you since you left the apartment this morning. I knew you'd try something as soon as you thought you could get away with it Loki'.

'Who's Loki?' came the innocent response.

Steve had to admit Loki put on a good show. Those big green eyes were very twinkly but also far too clever to be in a kid's face. His crying and protesting had certainly attracted enough unwanted attention on the way back to the apartment. Steve was fully expecting a call from child protection services before the day was out. As a result, he was losing patience.

'The guy who's about to be bent over my knee and spanked if he doesn't shape up and stop treating me like a moron', Steve said curtly.

Loki's lip curled in annoyance and he dropped the façade, defeated.

'How did you know?' he asked.

'Thing about dogs is they're honest', Steve said, 'And they tend to stay dogs'.

Loki felt his cheeks colour.  
So he had become human again in the night. For a hideous moment he thought he may have been naked but then felt a rush of relief for the blanket he remembered waking up under.

'You were expecting something cuddlier?' he snapped, to hide his embarrassment.

'Sure wasn't expecting you', Steve said, 'What do you want Loki? I'm sure you didn't come back to Earth just for the food'.

'If I'd had a choice I wouldn't be here at all', Loki thought savagely, making up a story on the fly.

Something to appeal to the soldier's sensibilities. Something he would want to believe.  
During their conversations when Loki had been SHIELD's prisoner, the soldier had believed there was more to Loki. The potential to do good despite his past.  
He didn't want to go back to Asgard. The penalty for escaping custody was death and Odin would welcome the opportunity to do away with him once and for all.  
Realising Steve was losing patience with his silence, Loki spun his lie.

'I will tell you only if you swear not to mock me', Loki said seriously.

'I swear', Steve said, crossing his heart for good measure.

'This oughta be good', he thought, 'You took way too long to answer'.

'I have had a long time to think about our conversations', Loki explained, 'Despite our…differences, I believe we reached an understanding. We are alike in many ways. I thought about how our lives turned out so differently from each other and I realised the reason why'.

He looked at Steve's face but could find no indication whether Steve believed him or not.

He continued.

'I am the reason why. My anger and my hatred brought me to this end. Brought others to their ends. I am tormented by my choices. You were right: you were right about me. I pushed away anybody who ever cared about me! I threw away every chance at happiness I ever had! And for what? A crown that didn't even fit me? The approval of an old man who wasn't even my father?! I made…so many bad choices. I want to make a good one. I want to try and set things right. But I can't do that locked in a cell! Do you understand?! I want to be what you thought I was: a good person! So…I'm begging you. Captain…Steve…please give me that chance? All I need is a chance'.

Steve kept his expression carefully neutral despite Loki's impassioned pleading.

Loki was lying through his teeth.  
But it was a surprisingly flimsy lie: not up to his usual standard of misdirection and half-truths. Steve had seen right through his 'Lil' Orphan Loki' act but he hadn't resumed his true form. That was weird. Usually when he realised the jig was up, Loki stopped play acting.  
So, why was he here?  
Revenge? It was a possibility: Loki hated everything The Avengers stood for but he and Steve had reached an 'understanding' of sorts when Loki had been in SHIELD custody. It wasn't friendship. It was more like a mutual understanding that they were never going to agree ideologically but they could at least have a civilised conversation. Loki hadn't attacked him at all last night and hadn't tried to attack any other Avenger. At least not yet.  
So then, was it some pursuit for power? Odd way to get it, stealing wallets on the streets of NYC. Bit of a step down from general of an invading army.  
He had obviously escaped his prison in Asgard but then, why choose to lie low in New York? Every person on the street knew what he looked like: there had been enough news coverage and photographs of 'Loki: public enemy number one' in the weeks following the invasion. Is that why he had turned into a kid?  
For that matter, why even escape? He had told Steve on the day they had last spoken that he wanted to be in Asgard because the security systems would protect him from someone called Thanos. A scary thought occurred to Steve: what if he had done another deal with Thanos?  
Steve did not like any of the gaps he was finding and liked his potential explanations even less.

One thing was for sure, if Loki had escaped Asgard once, he would do it again.  
Steve wanted to know why.

'If you hand me back to Asgard, I will die', Loki said solemnly, 'By my own hand or Odin's. It won't matter'.

Steve knew from Loki's tone and the fear that flashed in his eyes that he wasn't lying about that.

This made his next course of action clear to him.

'Okay then', Steve said, 'You'll get your chance'.

'So, you're not going to hand me over to SHIELD?' Loki asked, 'Or Asgard?'

'Not yet', Steve said.

'Why not?' Loki asked, careful to keep his tone innocently curious, 'Had a difference of opinion have you?'

'You said you trust me', Steve said, folding his arms, 'I'm going to honour that. Can always change my mind though'.

He wasn't about to admit to Loki that Loki's taunting about SHIELD having hidden secrets months ago had been eerily correct. Even though the organization had supposedly been purged of any remaining Hydra elements and was working on rebuilding trust with its allies, Steve was still hesitant to hand over such a volatile prisoner. Especially since they no longer had access to Asgardian security measures. He wondered if Loki had been aware of Hydra's presence in the organization: he was now fairly confident they had been the group that had arranged for Loki's temporary abduction from his cell. If he was, then that meant that SHIELD custody was definitely not an option.

'And, just in case you get any ideas, remember', Steve continued, 'The Avengers are still around'.

'How close is 'around'?' Loki prodded.

'Around', Steve repeated.

'Keeping the ridiculous name I take it?' Loki said.

Ignoring the jibe, Steve said, 'Don't worry. If you really want to set things right, you got nothing to worry about'.

'I demand a guarantee', Loki said, steepling his fingers.

'I give you my word', Steve offered, already knowing it wouldn't be that simple.

'I'm not the sort to take anything at face value', Loki smiled humourlessly, 'Do you know what a geis is?'

'Sounds Irish', Steve said.

Loki nodded.

'Close enough: the Celtic pantheon are quite fond of them. Think of it as a binding magical contract between us. If either one of us breaks our word, there will be consequences. Usually quite exotic or ironic consequences depending on your preference. It's a simple spell, provided both parties are committed to its success'.

'So, you obey my orders in exchange for what?' Steve asked, considering the information.

'Protection', Loki said simply, 'Within your abilities of course. I doubt even you could do much against a sudden, unforeseen meteor'.

'And if I don't?' Steve asked, 'Then what happens?'

'Does that mean you agree?' Loki asked and offered his hand.

Steve looked at Loki's outstretched hand.

'If you like, I'll go elsewhere', Loki said, eyes flicking towards the window.

Steve took Loki's hand firmly. Loki in his apartment was better than Loki out of his sight.  
Loki closed his eyes and a breeze sprang up from nowhere, the magic taking hold.  
Steve felt his wrist begin to tickle and watched as black, ink-like lines began to appear on the surface of his skin.

'What do you ask of me?' Loki entoned.

Steve saw the same markings starting to crawl along Loki's wrist. Loki was watching him, waiting for an answer.

'You obey my orders', Steve said, 'You don't hurt my friends. You don't hurt innocent people. Physically, emotionally or spiritually'.

Loki nodded. It was nothing unexpected. He had no intention of attacking anybody: why attract that kind of attention. He also trusted the soldier enough to believe that he would not abuse ordering Loki around. If he did, Loki would find a way to use it against him. By taking Loki in, Steve Rogers was harbouring a wanted criminal: he had nearly as much to lose as Loki should this arrangement be discovered.

'Agreed', Loki said, 'In exchange, you protect me from physical, emotional or spiritual harm. Even against those you would consider your friends and allies'.

Noticing the markings had nearly finished encircling his wrist, Steve decided it was too late to turn back. He hoped he had been specific enough. Loki could wriggle though the eye of a needle: the fine print in a contract would probably be no challenge for him.

'Agreed', Steve said with finality.

He flinched as his wrist suddenly stung. The markings glowed green and gold. He saw the design resembled a tattoo: a Celtic loop design reminiscent of chains encircled his wrist.

'Now', Loki said, the tension in his voice signalling his own physical discomfort, 'focus on the consequence that will befall me should I disobey. Think of a clear sentence in your mind. Once you have chosen, the spell will be cast'.

Steve closed his eyes and thought for a moment.  
He wasn't convinced the punishment should be a painful one. The shocks Loki had received whilst in SHIELD custody had done nothing to improve or change his behaviour. He was used to violence and quick to anger. He didn't want more resentment to fuel Loki's penchant for betrayal. So what did that leave?  
But if Loki did break his word (a likely scenario), Steve would have to be able to quickly render Loki helpless to protect others. He found his mind wandering to the stories his mother had told him when he was little. Stories from Ireland where she had been born. He was practically living in one at that very moment. Stories of heroes, monsters, battles and magic: the salmon of knowledge, Cúchulainn and the Red Branch Warriors, the Children of Lir…  
The idea came to Steve in a flash and he methodically thought of the sentence:

'If Loki breaks this contract, turn him into a magpie until I say the word 'Truth' to change him back'.

And with that, the breeze died away. A strange smell like fresh cut grass filled the apartment and Loki pulled his hand away from Steve's.

'Well, did you pick something exciting?' Loki asked.

'I'll keep that ace up my sleeve for now', Steve said, looking at the mark on his wrist. The skin around it was slightly red but the tingling pain was quickly receding.

'Very wise', Loki said rubbing his own wrist, 'But, since you've taken a chance on me, I will tell you what I chose. You break your word and you will immediately begin to rot to the physical age you should be. You're pushing, what? Eighty years of age?'

Steve met Loki's triumphant smile impassively.

'You didn't need to tell me that', he said, 'I don't break promises'.

'I hope not', Loki said coolly, 'For both our sakes'.

Steve stretched and got up, rolling his sleeve so it covered his tattoo.

'Now that's settled', he said, 'let's get started'.

'With what?' Loki asked, puzzled at Steve's flippant demeanour.

Steve pulled on his jacket and his cap.

'Your rehabilitation', he said, 'Please clean up the apartment while I'm gone'.

'Gone where?!' Loki demanded, obviously affronted by the menial request.

'If we're gonna live together, we're gonna need some more food. I've seen how much Thor packs away in one sitting. I'll be back soon. Get as much done as you can okay?'

Steve noticed Loki's displeased expression.

'If you want, I can give you a crash course in how to work everything?'

'I am not my brother', Loki said sourly, 'I know how to work a washing machine'.

'Great', Steve said brightly, 'Then you'll have no trouble'.

Just as he was about to leave, Steve stopped dead and wagged an imperious finger at Loki.

'Don't leave the apartment without my express permission, don't steal anything, don't destroy anything and don't answer the door when I'm not here'.

Loki bowed mockingly as Steve closed the door.  
So the soldier still knew how to press the advantage after all.

Sitting down on the couch, Loki waved a hand.  
The various primitive human contraptions around the apartment began to open their drawers and doors. The clean plates in the dishwasher began to stack themselves on the counter, the clothes from the drier began to fold themselves and in the bathroom, the shower head turned on and began to rinse down the bath.

Simple, easy magic, even when he was weakened.  
He was examining the remote control when Steve came back in.

'Sorry, forgot my wallet and-'

Steve's eyes widened at the spectacle before him.

Loki leapt up from the couch, throwing the remote to the side as if it were a venomous insect.

Steve's eyes narrowed.  
He had deliberately left the wallet behind to see if Loki would try anything.  
At least it showed the geis was working: Loki had started the tasks despite objecting to them but he had obeyed only the letter of Steve's order, not the spirit.  
Steve had anticipated this as well. He was definitely going to have to be more careful with his directions.

'When I asked you to clean, I didn't mean for you to Fantasia the whole apartment', Steve reprimanded.

'Fantas-what?' Loki asked.

'It's a movie', Steve said but from Loki's face, knew the explanation hadn't actually explained anything.

It was weird seeing that look on someone else's face for a change.

'Never mind. Please clean the apartment yourself without using magic, Steve said, grabbing his wallet from the counter, 'There are no shortcuts to becoming a better person Loki'.

Steve closed the door as Loki sourly picked up the TV remote and began to aggressively straighten the seat cushions.

Once he was certain Steve was out of earshot, Loki grumbled, 'Unless someone sticks you with super soldier serum'.


	3. Roomies

Steve rang the doorbell to his apartment, re-balancing the bags of groceries in his arms.

Loki's voice came from the mail slot.

''Don't answer the door when you're not here'. Remember?'

'But I am here', Steve protested.

'You're not technically in the apartment with me. Sorry, I'm not taking any chances'.

'You're doing this on purpose aren't you?' Steve said sourly.

'Would I do a thing like that?' came the innocent reply, 'This can be a dangerous city you know? You never know what unsavoury characters are lurking around'.

The mail slot flipped shut signalling the end of the debate.

Steve grumbled to himself as he shifted the grocery bags around to reach his keys.  
He hoped he had bought enough food for both their rampant metabolisms.

He had been tempted to get Loki a Starkphone so he could reach Steve in case of emergencies but had decided against it. Loki should stay in his apartment for now, not be unleashed on the unsuspecting internet. That place was bad enough without the god of lies. Besides Steve was sure if Loki needed him, he would find a way to contact him: he could use magic after all.

Finally locating his keys, Steve entered the apartment and had to do a double take.

'Woah, I'm impressed!' he exclaimed.

The apartment was spotless.  
Steve never had it too messy but he was a bachelor so had rarely bothered with anything beyond a quick wipe down. This looked like a show house!  
Steve's shoes squeaked as he walked to the kitchen, the wooden floor reflecting the apartment lights in the ceiling above it. There was a pile of neatly folded ironing on the sofa. The place smelt of lilac air freshener and the windows had been opened.

Loki was removing a pair of yellow rubber gloves.

'That the building is still standing?' Loki asked wryly, 'Or that I'm still here?'

'No, no I mean it Loki', Steve said enthusiastically, 'This place looks great!'

Loki's eyes widened before he shrugged off-handedly. Positive reinforcement was unfamiliar to him.

'How do you know how to use our technology anyway?' Steve asked, starting to put way the groceries, 'I hear Thor struggled a bit when he first landed'.

'I am not my brother', Loki said sharply.

Catching Steve's pointed look at his unpleasant tone, Loki diverted his gaze. He began to help Steve unpack the bags, his inventorial knowledge of the apartment improved by his cleaning.

'How was I supposed to rule this planet if I didn't know what a computer was?' he asked, 'Or how a car or television worked?'

'To be honest', Steve said, 'a lot of people don't know how those work'.

'I had plenty of time to absorb information from the SHIELD agents I press ganged upon my arrival here. Information is power'.

'That's true', Steve admitted, 'Don't agree with your learning methods though'.

'Do you know, believe it or not, I fully intended to rule this planet responsibly?' Loki challenged, 'Thor's never mentioned the libraries and museum exhibits I ordered built during my brief tenure as king of Asgard I take it?!'

'He might have. I've never asked', Steve said diplomatically.

'That's a 'no' then', Loki laughed humourlessly.

He tossed an apple in the air and caught it, fingers running over the surface distractedly.

'They probably knocked them all down', he mused dejectedly, 'If they even noticed the changes. Except for the security systems I ordered installed in the prisons. Those they kept'.

'Are you really surprised?' Steve asked, 'I remember you said Asgardians don't go in for libraries'.

'You certainly seem to', Loki said, placing the last apple into a fruit bowl.

Steve followed Loki's pointed tilt of the head to a nearby desk. A computer sat idle on the surface beside a notebook bedecked with colourful sticky notes. There was a stack of heavy textbooks, some obviously second hand.

'History books', Loki identified.

'Yeah', Steve said, 'Still filling in some blanks'.

'I was most surprised by the computer', Loki said.

'I'm doing some online courses', Steve said, feeling a flush of pride as he reflected on his excellent marks on his last module, 'It's like school except you talk to your teacher and do your exams using the computer'.

Loki looked at the machine with something akin to newfound respect.

'And I thought humans just used them to look at amusing pictures of cats', he said drily.

'That's not true. There are some great owl videos on there too', Steve said humorously, 'Come on'.

Loki followed Steve through an adjacent door into a spare room he had discovered during his cleaning spree. He hadn't needed to do very much: the room was practically empty save for a dresser, a desk and a single bed. All he had done was straighten up slightly and vacuumed.

'It's probably not what you're used to', Steve said, self-deprecatingly, 'But it's the only other bedroom. I'll get rid of that stuff on the desk tomorrow'.

Loki was surprised. He was being given this room? He had expected to be sleeping on the sofa.

'Anything is better than an Asgardian cell', Loki said, hiding his relief at being given a proper bed to sleep in.

'You know I thought you would've maybe got some special treatment?'

'Because I was the king once?' Loki asked sardonically.

'No. POW status', Steve said then clarified the acronym just in case, 'Prisoner of war'.

Loki's face went dark.

'They preferred to use other names when referring to me', he said, 'The cell and my continued existence was the special treatment'.

Steve nodded: he had no response to that. Loki had to be contained somehow. But could Odin really kill his own son? Or adopted son? From talking to Thor, most Asgardians didn't care about Earth. It was too far away to be bothered with. Had Loki's conquest and resultant loss of human life really angered him so much? Or was it the fact it made Asgard look bad that had riled the old god up?

'I'll go make us some dinner', Steve said, keen to give Loki some time to get used to his new living space.

Loki said nothing but nodded in acknowledgment.

Once Steve had left, he tested the bed by sitting on it and gently rocking back and forth. It was comfortable enough and Loki had already put fresh sheets on it. He also had a window that looked out over the harbour. The wardrobe and drawers were useless for now: it wasn't as if he had arrived on Midgard with any luggage.  
The numerous documents and papers on the desk however attracted his eye. A bookworm by nature, Loki began to leaf through them. Steve would not have left them out if they were confidential.  
As Loki flicked through the largest folder (a seemingly random assortment of photos, maps and scrawled notes), he reflected that the pile was hey were more than likely to do with Steve's studies. He read the title Steve had written in marker on the front of the folder. The words made no sense to Loki: he had never heard of a 'Winter Soldier'.

As he tried to place it back down on the desk, a smaller square piece of paper fell out from between some yellowing papers. Loki put the folder down, picked the square up and looked at it. It was an old, creased sepia photograph.  
It showed a happy family: a man, a woman and two young boys in front of a large oak tree.  
Despite the difference in years and stature, Loki recognised Steve as one of the children immediately. He couldn't help but notice the similarities between his own current scrawny frame and Steve's narrow chested, bird limbed, past self. He was smiling happily, one arm thrown around the other boy. The second boy was bigger than Steve, his young arms already showing defined muscle, his hair dark where Steve's was blonde. Steve had inherited his mother's colouring.  
The photograph made Loki's stomach flutter unpleasantly with nostalgia.

'My folks', came Steve's voice suddenly.

Loki jumped and dropped the photograph. It drifted across the floor and Steve scooped it up. He smiled at it fondly before saying, 'Come on, dinner's ready'.

'You have a brother?' Loki asked.

Steve's smile melted away like snow in sunlight.

'No', he said regretfully, pulling open the top drawer and placing the photograph inside, 'No I don't'.

He shut the drawer and turned to leave.

'It's Bucky isn't it?' Loki asked, intrigued by Steve's uncharacteristic brusqueness.

Steve halted at the door but didn't turn around. He felt a flash of anger as he recalled Loki's brief masquerade as Bucky on his last day before he was extradited to Asgard. To think Loki's attempt to recreate Bucky's shape had looked more like Steve's friend than the real Bucky did now…  
Wherever he was.

'Come on, dinnertime', Steve said simply and went back out to the kitchen.

Loki cast a glance at the drawer as he followed Steve.  
He knew that Bucky Barnes was a delicate subject for Steve but as a conversation topic, he seemed to have evolved into something downright painful.  
How interesting.

'You're not eating', Loki said.

It wasn't an accusation: it was an inquiry.

Steve opened his eyes, hands still clasped in prayer.

'Old habit', Steve said self-consciously, 'Sorry. Does it bother you?'

'Why would it?' Loki shrugged, his confusion evident, 'I am not eating simply because the host eats first. As long as your ritual does not involve lengthy animal sacrifice or building a temple, I can wait'.

'No, that sounds more like a Viking thing', Steve smiled.

'They're all Midgardian things', Loki said, balancing his knife on the tip of a finger, 'Carry on'.

After a minute or two, Steve concluded his prayer and picked up his cutlery. Loki took the signal and followed suit.

'What is this called?' he asked, poking the yellow mass daintily.

Steve swallowed his first mouthful.

'Mac and cheese', he explained.

'That doesn't explain anything', Loki thought before resigning himself to a taste test. At least it would be warm. He just didn't understand why it was such an unhealthy, vibrant colour. It reminded him of yellow paint.

'What do you think?' Steve asked as he watched Loki chew thoughtfully.

'It's different', Loki replied.

It struck Steve that Loki maybe had never had Earth food before he remembered he had eaten the chicken and ham he was offered the night before. And he had been fed while in SHIELD custody. Then again, he had probably never experienced 'Mac and Cheese' before: it didn't seem like the sort of food that had an Asgardian equivalent.

'You don't like it?' Steve asked, cycling through potential replacement meal ideas in his head.

He needn't have worried.

'I didn't say that', Loki said, his arm curling around his bowl protectively.

They ate in silence until they finished their meal. Both had second, then third helpings.

'How do you pay for things?' Loki asked, wiping his face with a napkin, 'You can't still be considered an active soldier'.

'Technically I'm retired from the US army so I get a pension', Steve explained, 'My folks left me some money and my book's selling very well right now'.

'On Asgard, you could demand tribute from those under your protection', Loki said thoughtfully.

'Does that include you?' Steve asked jokingly.

Loki's face remained serious. He abruptly stood up as if he had just made a decision and began to gather the crockery.

'Loki, I was joking!' Steve protested, 'Don't worry about the dishes. You cleaned this whole place today'.

'No', Loki said sternly, 'I may look like a child but I will not be treated like one. You cooked so I will clean'.

He pried Steve's protesting fingers off his dirty plate with surprising ease and added it to the pile he was carrying to the dishwasher.

'Besides, your cupboards were a mess before I re organised them', Loki concluded, beginning to load the dishes.

Loki stood on tiptoes as he reached for the dishwasher tablets. Exhaling in frustration as he found them out of reach, he pulled over his chair and stood on it to get the box. He grabbed the tablet needed and replaced the box on the shelf before pushing the chair back under the table.

'Why not just change back into yourself?' Steve asked.

Loki closed the dishwasher sharply at the question. Steve saw his shoulders slump ever so slightly.

'You can't can you? But then, how did you change into an adult when you were asleep?' Steve asked.

Loki dusted off his hands and leant with his back against the counter top. He looked thoughtful.

'That was a natural reflex. My body was resting and not devoting time to anything else so my magic restored me. When I woke up this morning, my magic automatically transformed me back into a dog to save energy. I couldn't manage a conscious transformation into my adult self so I settled for what I could get. The journey here badly drained my magic'.

'I didn't realise magic could make choices like that', Steve said, 'It almost sounds like a living thing'.

'That's because it is', Loki said, looking at his hand resignedly, ''It does what it does for a reason'. Or so they say'.

'How did you get here anyway?' Steve asked.

'Transportation spell', Loki said before stretching pointedly, 'May I be excused? I'm tired'.

'Oh? Okay sure', Steve conceded, 'Good night'.

Loki's grateful smile faded as he closed his bedroom door. He missed having the luxury of a lock but decided he could trust Steve not to invade his privacy.  
He opened the window and leant on the sill, savouring the cool night air.  
Lowering his head onto his folded arms, he sighed.

What was he doing here?  
Asgard would have laughed itself sick if its populace could see him now. Loki, former and never-again King of Asgard: cleaning plates and sleeping in someone's spare room.  
At least the city was pretty at night. Loki had not had time to see it properly on his last visit. It reminded him of Heimdall's eyrie: glittering lights in a sea of darkness. Thanks to the river, it seemed like the city was built upon a set of identical yet reversed buildings. Loki had a keen appreciation for beauty.  
Speaking of appreciation, how long had it been since he had eaten a dinner in company? As he had grown older, he had lost patience with the conversations in the dining halls. Who wanted to hear yet another story of Thor's triumphs? For the last few centuries he had eaten alone in his rooms. Sometimes, when he could, he had eaten with his mother. But not anymore. Never again now.  
She had cooked for him too.  
He rubbed angrily at the tears brewing in his eyes. Homesickness?! For what?! Asgard?!  
He pinched his arms in frustrated self reproach.  
Damn this body!  
He was not about to cry like the child he appeared to be!  
But…what if he was trapped like this?  
He left the window open, crawled into bed and hugged his knees to his chest under the covers.  
Sleep came quickly but not peacefully.

Meanwhile, Steve flicked through the channels on TV, fingers robotically clicking onto the next channel as he considered his new house guest.  
Loki had been surprisingly co-operative so far and more open minded than Steve had given him credit for. He certainly hadn't expected to come home to an apartment looking like something out of 'House and Garden'.  
He turned off the TV and leant forward, thinking.  
What was Loki like? Power hungry, prideful, manipulative, dangerous, murderous, insane-  
Okay, okay, those were all true and had plenty of evidence to back them up but Loki was other things too.

Namely, conscientious, inquisitive and very receptive to praise (though he tried to hide it).  
There had to be a way to channel those positive aspects of his personality without giving the bad traits leeway to fester. If Loki was telling the truth about his desire for redemption, Steve had to give him a genuine chance. Without evidence he was lying, Steve had decided to help Loki redeem himself. When Loki had been SHIELD's prisoner, Steve had learned that he did open up. Provided you were patient and he felt safe. Right now he felt vulnerable which probably explained the uncharacteristic good behaviour more than any magically binding contract.  
There was another problem: Loki was bound to get bored staying in the apartment sooner or later.  
There was a line that his mother had always used when he was little: 'Always show hospitality to strangers Steve. You might meet an angel without knowing it'.  
He smiled at the memory. She had said it every time she offered the mailman a cup of tea or someone a slice of cake.  
Loki may have been a god but he was no angel. Steve didn't believe in complete monsters (after all he'd seen a few try to claim the title) but Loki had come pretty darn close.  
As his eyes travelled around the room idly, Steve settled on the stack of research books on his desk. He still had an assignment to do for that week. He would have to go to the library tomorrow.  
The idea of how to help Loki hit him (ironically) like a thunderbolt.


	4. Tourist

Loki was awakened by a series of insistent hard knocks at his bedroom door.

'Get up Loki! We're headin' out', Steve's voice came through the door, 'Shower's on if you want to get cleaned up'.

Loki sat up as he heard Steve's footsteps die away.  
Out? This was a surprise. Loki had begun to fear he had traded one cell for another and yet it seemed Steve had decided on a supervised outing.  
He yawned and rubbed his bleary eyes. A shower would be a welcome relief: he felt sweaty. It was his own fault for drifting off in his clothes. By the looks of the creases in the fabric and dishevelled state of his blankets, he had been tossing and turning in his sleep. He had slept but not deeply, his eyes flicking open at every unfamiliar noise, heart hammering before he remembered where he was.  
The sleep he had managed to snatch had been filled with dreams of his mother.  
The only one (save for the more recent, unexpected addition of Steve) who had believed in the best in him; given him the benefit of the doubt.

Loki left the bedroom and went into the bathroom. Locking the door behind him, he waved a hand and his clothes disintegrated into vapour. Seeing Steve had already set out some towels for him, Loki stepped into the shower and turned it on. He ran it as cold as it would go, preferring an icy dousing to wake him up than prickling heat. As he stood there, rubbing a lotion called 'shampoo' into his hair, his thoughts drifted again to his mother.

Sometimes she had even lied for him, the resigned disappointment in her eyes more painful than any beating his peers could have inflicted. The loss of personal honour did not matter to her (she was far too pragmatic for that) but she hated Loki abusing his gifts: the magic she had helped grow within him through many hours of taxing study and practice. She had encouraged him every step of the way, even in his research in the maligned studies of illusions and shapechanging: arts considered unscrupulous and full of temptations.

Loki finished rinsing his hair and turned off the shower, the droplets from his wet fringe dripping in front of his eyes like crystal beads.  
He grabbed one of the towels and began to dry off.

Now, Odin's prophecy would come to pass: Loki would never see Frigga again. Unless she was watching his neck being stretched out on a block. He wondered if she would help in the search for Asgard's escaped prisoner. Odin would probably force her to. After all, it was thanks to her that Loki endured as a living embarrassment to the family and not as a dead, soon forgotten embarrassment in Asgardian history.

Placing the used, wet towel in the bath, Loki checked his reflection in the bathroom mirror.  
There were dark bags under his raw eyes and his skin was paler than usual. Perhaps some exercise would be beneficial after all. It might help him sleep better that night.  
Holding up both hands, he focused on generating clothing.  
The same outfit from the day before appeared, sans wrinkles and boasting a fresh Spring like scent.  
Satisfied with his ablutions, Loki unlocked the bathroom, curious to see what the day would involve.

After a short breakfast, Steve showed him the day ahead would involve a dog collar and leash.

'Can I not venture out as I am?' Loki asked, 'I made new clothes'.

'It won't be for the whole day', Steve said, 'I just want to make sure it's safe for you to appear as a human. Asgard may be looking for you right?'

Loki nodded grudgingly and lowered himself to the floor.  
He took up a position on all fours before casting an irritated glance up at Steve.

'Do you mind?' he asked tersely.

'Oh!' Steve said realising Loki did not want him watching, 'Sorry!'

He turned his back. Loki had never minded showing off his powers before. Then again, if they were on the fritz, the process was unlikely to be as swift or seamless as it had been before.  
Judging from the muted gasps and grunts coming from behind him, his hypothesis was correct.  
After a few minutes, he felt something nudge his hand.  
He turned back around.  
Loki the whippet was sitting on his haunches, looking up at Steve expectantly. He was panting, most likely from the effort of the transformation.

'You good to go?' Steve asked.

Loki nodded.  
Steve brought the leash and collar over. He had bought it the day before at the grocery store and hidden it, just in case Loki had not been open to his planned routine for Loki having to leave the apartment. Loki growled at the unpleasant (and too familiar) sensation as Steve fastened the collar around his neck but did not object beyond that.

'Alright then', Steve said, 'Let's go for a walk'.

Loki cocked his head.

'Don't worry, you'll see where we're going soon', Steve promised as they headed for the door, 'No vet I promise'.

Loki chuffed, unimpressed, as Steve winked conspiratorially at him.

Judging from the wagging of his tail and his interested sniffing of the air, Loki liked Central Park a lot. Steve smiled at the other dog walkers but warned a couple of curious people not to touch the 'obviously pure bred' whippet he was walking.

'He's got a mean streak', Steve had said apologetically and reprimanded Loki when Loki had strained at the leash and snarled like a frenzied wolf to mischievously prove the point.

Deciding it would be best to avoid people after the second such encounter, Steve left the pathway and headed for an old stomping ground from his youth.  
It was a large open green field bordered by bushes with a small hill at the far end. On top of the hill was a large oak tree, casting a welcome patch of shade on such a hot day. Families often used the area for kid soccer games and picnics but today it was thankfully deserted.  
Loki strained slightly at the leash but then stopped.  
Steve realised this was probably the most open space Loki had seen in a while. Asgardian cells sounded advanced but they were still cells. Maybe while he was a dog, Loki thought more like a dog too: nothing enticed a dog more than open ground.

'Want a race?' Steve asked lightly, 'Been a while since our last one'.

Loki rolled his eyes exaggeratedly to make sure Steve understood he did not consider their last race a worthy competition but his wagging tail betrayed his excitement.

'I think I can outrace a dog better than a horse', Steve said playfully, 'Besides, bet you're gettin' tired of the leash huh?'

Loki's ears pricked up.

'Thought so', Steve said, kneeling down, 'We race to the big oak tree at the top of the hill when I say 'go'. When you get there, you stop and don't move until I put this leash back on you. Understand?'

He could see Loki absorbing the information, no doubt keen to avoid falling prey to the consequences of the geis should he disobey one of Steve's orders. Loki lowered his head, giving Steve better access to the leash connection. He understood.  
Steve disconnected the leash and Loki bolted.  
Steve cursed and ran after him, only to realize with no small amount of relief that Loki was running back towards him. Loki ran in a circle around Steve before racing ahead again. Joining in with the game, Steve picked up speed. He managed to catch up to Loki and tapped his shoulder.

'On your left', he grinned.

Loki barked and redoubled his efforts.  
The race was close but Loki was definitely the victor, forepaws slamming onto the trunk of the tree before Steve's fingertips.  
Loki panted and rolled on the grass, kicking his legs up as he danced in a circle.

'Okay, okay, congratulations!' Steve laughed, enjoying Loki's enthusiasm, 'Two legs good. Four legs better'.

He flung himself down on the grass, propping his back against the tree.  
For a second, he had thought Loki was attempting escape but his first instincts had been the right ones: Loki had just wanted to run.  
Loki seemed to catch himself and abruptly stopped celebrating. He sniffed at a couple of patches of grass before coming to join Steve. It was funny, how embarrassed he looked for enjoying himself.  
Loki lay down a little bit away from Steve, head resting on his front paws.

'Nice view huh?' Steve asked.

Loki cast his eyes upwards, following Steve's and growled. Tony Stark's ego-focused monument Stark Tower rose in the distance, its windows glinting in the strong sunlight.

'Don't worry: nobody's home right now', Steve said.

Loki's ears pricked up and Steve could see the brain beneath them start to calculate.

'Don't get any ideas Fido', he warned, 'I know where they are if I need them. We've even got some new recruits'.

Loki chuffed and laid his head back on his paws.  
The pair sat there, enjoying the sun and the gentle breeze.  
Steve had come here all the time with Bucky and his folks. They had come here for picnics, afternoon walks, impromptu baseball games and to enjoy heavy snowfalls in the Winter. Once he had been allowed to take care of a neighbour's dog while they were in the hospital. He had brought it to the park for a walk and they had ended up playing all afternoon. Then, when both of them had finally had enough fun, the dog had lain down exactly where Loki had.  
Steve saw Loki's eyelids start to droop and without thinking, ran a hand gently along the dog's back.  
Loki leapt up.  
He wheeled and snarled at Steve who hastily yanked his hand back.

'Sorry! Force of habit!' Steve exclaimed, cursing his thoughtlessness.

Loki gave a low growl as he mentally reprimanded himself for letting his guard down. He was angry at Steve for touching him without permission like he was a real dog but also was angry at himself for giving in to the simple desire to sleep. This place was not safe! Slowing his panicked heartrate, he stopped baring his teeth and nibbled his shoulder to signal to Steve he was calm.

'Let's get out of here huh?' Steve offered, taking the leash out of his pocket, 'Got a couple more stops to make'.

Loki nodded.

'That won't happen again', Steve promised, 'But are you sure you're okay? You're really jumpy'.

Loki nodded vigorously, grateful that in this form, Steve couldn't see the heat rush to his cheeks.

'Okay', Steve accepted, 'Next place we're going doesn't allow dogs and I think we're safe enough for you to drop the act. Find somewhere nearby to change and meet me back here when you're you again. Or, as close to you as you can get'.

Loki walked off, head turning this way and that as he vanished into the dense brush bordering the green.  
Just as Steve was about to go check on him, Loki came back. He was back in his child form, dressed in the same clothes he had been in that morning. He was wiping his forehead, sweat glistening beneath his fringe of dark hair.

'I'm fine', Loki said before Steve could ask, 'It was easier that time. Where are we going anyway?'

'Somewhere you'll like', Steve said, dusting off his backside as he stood up.

'Well, before we go, would you mind?' Loki asked, 'My fingers are still a bit numb'.

Steve looked at him quizzically. Loki rolled his eyes in exasperation and unzipped his hoodie to show his neck. Steve slapped his own forehead before hastily removing the (now unnecessary) dog collar from Loki's neck.

Loki's eyes widened as Steve held open the door for him.

'Welcome to the New York Public Library', Steve introduced.

Loki had known by the leonine statues situated at the front of the building that they were entering a house of learning but he had underestimated just how much he missed books. His mother had brought him books for his cell and he had enjoyed them but there was just something awe inspiring about the sheer quantity of books he could see here. Even the libraries he had designed did not compete with the gargantuan amount of shelved knowledge and stories here.

'It's the second largest library in the United States', Steve smiled, 'I have to grab some books for my test coming up. Think you can keep busy?'

Loki's eyes were shining: he looked like a kid who was about to be let loose in a candy store.

'I'll be back for you in a bit. Don't leave and don't steal anything', Steve cautioned but Loki was already on his way towards a shelf full of thick hardbacks.

Steve watched him begin to examine their titles and take them down one by one.

As Loki took down his sixth book and began to transport his growing pile to a nearby desk, Steve made a mental note to frisk Loki before they left.

'What were you reading anyway?' Steve asked.

They were sitting at a table in a diner back in Brooklyn called 'Stan's' that Steve knew well. It was a family business and had been open since Steve had been young. Stan himself was a great grandfather now and a decorated war hero. The cheeseburgers were still the best in the city as far as Steve was concerned and Stan had proudly erected a poster in the window proclaiming this very fact as soon as he'd heard. As a result, even though it was after the lunchtime rush, the diner was crowded. Steve liked it that way. It was easier to slip in unnoticed.  
Loki had not attempted to take any books from the library but had successfully convinced Steve to stay for an extra hour while he finished 'speed reading' the final hardback book he had taken from the shelf when they had first arrived. Loki would probably have asked to stay for an additional hour if Steve had not recommended filling their stomachs instead of their brains.

'Just a few texts on the occult and magic', Loki replied, eyes scanning the laminated menu Steve had handed him, 'Quite a few of your philosophers had the mind set correct, just not the practicalities. 'Wool of bat and tongue of dog'? What is anybody supposed to do with those?'

'This?' Steve asked, pointing playfully to the 'soup of the day' advertised on the menu.

'The only effect of which would be to make someone sick', Loki said sardonically, 'Speaking of which, what should I order?'

'How 'bout our cheeseburger Hun?' came a cheery voice.

A pretty blonde haired young woman stopped at their table and smiled. A pristine white name tag clipped onto her pink dress identified her as 'Beth'. She took a notepad out of her apron and a pencil from behind her ear.

''Hun'?' Loki repeated.

'This a friend of yours Captain?' Beth asked, pointing at Loki.

'Sorta', Steve said, hiding his unease, 'He's from out of town Beth'.

'Ooh! You mean like', Beth jabbed a finger upwards, 'up there 'outta town'? I've been watchin' all these news stories about aliens and stuff and-'

'Europe', Loki interjected, 'I'm from Europe'.

He hoped she wouldn't ask him where: he wasn't entirely sure the countries still had the same names as they had centuries ago.

'Well, welcome to the USA', Beth said, offering her hand, 'Pleased to meet you Mr?'

'Locke', Loki said, shaking her hand, 'Locke Lysmith'.

Steve raised his eyebrows at Loki's alias. Was he serious?  
Thankfully, Beth didn't notice.

'Well, Locke', Beth asked, 'What'll it be?'

'I suppose the dish you recommended: a cheese-burger?' Loki said.

'You want it hog tied and dragged though the garden?' Beth asked and waited patiently for an answer.

Loki looked at Steve helplessly.

'Yeah he does and I'll have the same Beth', Steve chuckled, 'And give us two sides of fries and two chocolate milkshakes'.

'You got it Cap', Beth smiled, 'Ready in a jiffy and discount as usual'.

She walked away, shouting what sounded to Loki like a coded message to the kitchen serf behind the counter.

'She's cheery', Loki commented, 'Unintelligible but cheery'.

'You get used to it', Steve said fondly, 'Beth's helped me a lot with slang and the internet'.

'What did she mean 'discount'?' Loki asked, 'You do demand tribute then?'

'Not exactly. Beth's the owner's grand-daughter, well, his great grand-daughter and I helped her out when she got caught up in the invasion. Since then, they won't take full payment for the food. Managed to talk them down from on the house at least'.

Beth set down two glasses on the table: the chocolate milkshakes Steve had ordered. He passed one to Loki as Beth set down their plates of food. Loki looked at the glass with suspicious eyes as Steve thanked Beth.

'It's a milkshake', Steve explained, trying not to laugh at Loki's serious examination of the glass, 'They're really good'.

'If this is milk, what did they do to the cow?' Loki asked, stirring the frothy contents of the glass dubiously, before turning his attention to the contents of his burger, 'And what is this? Pork?'

'It's called bacon'.

Loki looked at the burger as if trying to make up his mind but an insistent grumble of his stomach put paid to his concerns. Gut won out over brain and he took a large bite. So large that he had to hurriedly sip the milkshake to help it descend into his stomach.

'You like it?'

Loki nodded vigorously, all uncertainty forgotten in the face of the flavour filled onslaught. He continued to consume the burger as if he was afraid someone would take it from him. Steve smiled inwardly at the success. Despite that hiccup in the park, the day was going well. Loki was responding positively to pretty much everything Steve was showing him. Steve was hoping it would help him realise how poisonous his ambitions had been.  
Loki's voice cut into Steve's thoughts.

'I know what you're doing by the way'.

'Hmm?' Steve asked, mouth full.

'You think I don't know bribery when I see it?' Loki asked, dabbing his mouth with a napkin.

'Bribery's a bit strong', Steve commented, 'It's just a burger and fries'.

'Rewarding for good behaviour then', Loki clarified, 'Loki behaves, Loki gets a treat'.

'Does Loki want to keep the treat? Or maybe get another one?' Steve asked.

Loki frowned.  
Steve smiled.

'That's what I thought', Steve said, 'I'm not trying to bribe you. I'm trying to help you understand'.

'Understand what?'

'That these', Steve gestured around the diner, 'are real people. What you were going to do was going to change their lives and not for the better'.

'What makes you so sure?' Loki challenged, folding his arms.

'If you'd managed to become king of this place, would you have bothered figuring out what bacon was? Or what was inside the library? Or talked to someone like Beth?'

Loki didn't reply but his eyes did flick to Beth who was chatting happily with a pair of customers who had just come in.

'Everyone likes Beth', Steve smiled.

Loki considered Steve's point but was distracted by something one of the new customers was taking out of his pocket. He couldn't tell what it was at first: it was grey and metallic. It was only when the customer struck Beth across the face with it that Loki saw what it was.  
A gun.  
Beth cried out as she fell hard on the floor. The newcomer raised the gun and shot it at the ceiling. The other customers, scared of the noise and growing danger, tried to scramble under tables and covered their heads. Steve, now aware of the situation as much as Loki, slowly got up from the table. Loki stayed put, watching the situation carefully.

'Don't be a hero pal', the gunman warned, 'Your wallet's not worth a bullet in the ass'.

Steve turned around, hands raised high.

'Holy shit', the second robber exclaimed, 'It's Captain America!'

'Shut up idiot!' the gunman snapped, 'You think Captain America'd be eatin' hotdogs in a dump like this?!'

'Actually it was a burger', Steve corrected before closing the distance and effortlessly disarming the man with a vicious twist of the man's wrist.

The gunman cried out as Steve jammed the man's damaged arm up his back and forced him to his knees. The gunman struggled and Steve was too distracted to see the second robber produce a gun of his own.  
Drawing on his adrenaline and anger towards the robbers, Loki made his move.

Steve saw something shoot past him and strike the second robber in the chest.  
A green spiral of energy, it began to wrap itself around him as he cried out, trying to swat it away. It bound his arms to his sides and forced him to his knees, seeming to glue him somehow to the floor.

'Holy shit!' the second robber screamed, 'It's him!'

Steve knew the robber wasn't talking about him this time: he was looking past Steve.  
He turned around and saw Loki, in his true adult form and in full battle dress, moving his fingers as green electricity danced between them. He flicked his wrist and Steve noticed the man he had been subduing was now also restrained by a thick rope. The man struggled and cursed but could not break free.

'How did you-' Steve began.

'Not innocent people', Loki said simply, 'Fair game'.

Seeing the strain on Loki's face and the way he was swaying, Steve was not sure how long Loki would be able to hold the two would be criminals.

'Nobody move!' Steve commanded, 'I'm going to call the police!'

Loki gave a pained cry as he felt his form begin to change against his will. He knelt down, his form reverting to a child again as he tried to get his breathing under control. It was too much. He couldn't keep the robbers bound and maintain his true form. He felt nauseous and faint.

'Lok-' Steve started to call before cutting the name short, 'Locke! You okay?'

Loki waved a hand dismissively as he used a nearby table to stand up. Steve turned his attention back to the phone but Loki couldn't hear what he was saying into it. As his head continued to spin, he began to hear whispers creep into his ears from the humans around him.

'Did he say 'Loki'?'

'As in 'The Loki'?'

'That stinkin' alien?!'

'He's whaddya-call-'im's brother ain't he?'

'It was all over the news. It's him alright. I seen his picture'.

He ran a hand over his eyes before shakily walking to where Beth was lying. Her bleeding cheek was a vivid red where she had been slapped and tears streaked her face.

'Are you alright?' Loki asked, extending a hand.

Beth's eyes widened and she began to desperately backpedal from his outstretched fingers.

'Get away! Leave me alone!' she shrieked, 'What do you want with us?!'

Loki felt his heartbeat begin to pound in his ears. He couldn't breathe.  
He turned away from Beth's terrified face and saw the faces of the other customers. They were all different but their expressions were united. Hatred, fear, sadness, revulsion.  
It was just like being a frost giant in Asgard. They hated him. He had just saved their lives and they despised him. It was too much. He couldn't focus.  
As he began to back towards the door, overwhelmed by the physical and mental strain on his body, he became aware of a shrill noise invading his perceptions. Red and blue lights were flashing outside the bay windows of the diner.  
Police. Come to capture him and throw him in a cell again.  
Numbly, Loki grabbed a pair of steak knives off a table. He identified his target: a police officer climbing out of his squad car. The man wasn't wearing his hat: Loki could see the veins tracing his bald scalp.

'Loki no!' Steve yelled, dropping the phone, 'Stop!'

Loki tried to fling the first knife but cried out as the skin on his wrist began to burn intensely. He rolled up his sleeve frantically and saw the formerly black geis mark flare bright gold. The gold light began to spread, enveloping his entire body.  
He watched in horror as his fingers began to flatten and lengthen even as he felt his body growing lighter and shrinking. He tried to protest but all he could do was make an inhuman chattering noise. As the golden light faded, he caught sight of himself in the window of the diner.  
A magpie?!  
He twisted his head this way and that, horrified at the unintended transformation.  
He was helpless! They'd catch him! But he hadn't tried to change shape! He-  
Then he saw Steve's regretful stare.  
The geis.

'Loki, go back to the place we left from this morning and wait for me', Steve said carefully, his gentle but firm tone breaking through Loki's panicking brain.

Consumed by rage, shame and fear, Loki latched onto the order and fled the chaotic scene, swooping out an open window and into the freedom of the clouded sky.

Two hours later, Steve paused outside the front door of his apartment and took a deep breath. The diner incident was being handled by the police and they had cleared him to leave after taking a statement. A crowd had gathered as he had left and he had heard worrying whispers as he passed. Word of Loki's presence was spreading.

'Please let him be here', he prayed.

He opened the door and entered the quiet apartment. He saw Loki right away.  
He had gotten back in through the window they had left open that morning and was sitting on the windowsill, looking out at the city. He was still a magpie: the geis had done its job.  
Now it was time to see if it could undo it.  
Steve closed his eyes and thought of the code word he had chosen: Truth.  
He saw one of Loki's feathers glow gold and the light spread to envelope his entire body. Steve narrowed his eyes as the intensity of the light grew.  
When it faded, he saw Loki kneeling with his back to him beside the window. Seeing the boy was naked, Steve grabbed the blanket from the sofa and averting his eyes, threw it around Loki's shoulders. Loki took hold of it and wrapped it around himself like a cloak, folding his arms to create a cocoon from the material. He stood up gingerly but did not turn around. He was calm now: the disorientated and violent Loki Steve had seen in the diner buried somewhere inside the slight body.

'Loki-' Steve began.

'It's very elegant retribution for disobedience', Loki interrupted, 'I disobey, you render me helpless then force me to rely on your goodwill'.

Loki gave a bitter laugh.

'It's like something I'd think of', he said.

'You did the right thing back there', Steve said, 'stopping those thieves'.

'She was afraid of me', Loki said quietly, 'I saved her life and she was afraid of me'.

'You must have known redemption was going to be hard', Steve said gently.

'No I didn't because I didn't want redeemed in the first place!' Loki shrieked in his head, 'But here I am upset about the reaction of some stupid little human who shouldn't matter to me at all and I don't know why!'

Loki said nothing out loud but turned and walked towards his room. He didn't look at Steve as he passed.

'You hurt a lot of people when you came here with the Chituari Loki'.

Steve's voice made him pause as he began to close his door.

'It's going to take them a while to trust you but it will get easier', Steve continued, 'But… only if you really want to become a better person'.

Loki slammed the door shut.

'Save your sermons', he whispered savagely under his breath.

He threw the blanket to the floor and focused on conjuring some clothing. A simple cotton robe manifested around his body. It figured the soldier hadn't considered the issue of clothing rematerializing between forms! And to make matters worse, Loki couldn't even make them himself while he transformed back! He couldn't do anything until Steve did whatever he did to end the enchantment and he had fully resumed a human shape. It added another layer of humiliation to the punishment.  
At least now he knew what the punishment was.  
Forced animal transformation was a classic magical consequence of drawing the caster's ire in some way. He hadn't expected Steve to choose such an esoteric punishment: he had expected shocks akin to those he had suffered while in SHIELD custody thanks to loaned Asgardian technology. He would have preferred the shocks: at least he would be in a shape he had chosen while feeling them.  
He sat down on his bed and leant forward, elbows on his knees and his hands supporting his head.  
The waitress' reaction still gnawed at him. She had been kind to him and he had terrified her. As soon as she had seen his real face, she had recognised him as the one who had tried to destroy their city.

'I'm the monster people tell their children about at night', Loki whispered angrily, the words between he and Odin coming out of the past to haunt him.

But why should that bother him?  
Weren't humans supposed to be afraid of the gods?! Centuries ago on his little jaunts to Midgard, they had thrown feasts and festivals for him, offering him anything he wanted in exchange for his blessing or to avoid his displeasure. He had ordered them to spread word of him and they had obeyed. Give or take an embellishment or two, they had done a good job.  
But then, weren't the humans in the diner doing the same thing? The whispering all spoke of his might: the fear of him evident in their voices and cow like stares. No doubt they would all rush home to their hovels and say they saw the dreaded Loki in the flesh.  
No, no, this was different. Centuries ago, Midgard had been a distraction. Just a race of people barely crawled out of their caves that he could poke and prod for his own amusement. He had just been getting something to eat this time. It was not his fault that some cowardly wretches decided to try and take what was not theirs! He had saved their lives!  
And yet, they hated him.  
Loki swore in an ancient dialect and threw himself back onto his bed. He glared at the ceiling, irritated by the circular reasoning.  
Let them do what they like.  
He was alive and free. Why should the opinions of sheep bother lions?  
They would bother Steve though.  
He had said it was his 'favourite diner'.

'There are other diners', Loki mumbled, disconcerted at this new train of thought, 'It's a big city'.

But his internal devil's advocate would not be silenced.  
Steve said it was his 'favourite diner'. He had made connections there. Beth was his friend. Now, thanks to being seen with Loki, they might not even let him back in, Captain America or not.  
And yet, only a few moments ago, Steve had been telling Loki things would get easier for Loki. He hadn't even mentioned what had happened at the diner after Loki had left. He had just dealt with it then come home to check on Loki. He had even looked guilty at the diner when Loki had transformed!  
Loki pushed the heels of his hands into his eyes until he was seeing stars.  
He had lied about redeeming himself to stay hidden and Steve had bought it. As soon as his magic regenerated, Loki would become his adult self again, find a way to get rid of the geis and strike out on his own.  
Then what?  
Hide? Run for the rest of his life? Surrender to Asgardian justice and plead ignorance as to the manner of his escape?  
He scoffed. Funny, how the most honest option was the most likely to get him killed.  
But if he stayed, what would he do then?  
Maybe, just maybe, he could actually try to…  
No.  
It wasn't possible. Just because a farmer helped a viper, the viper was not expected to be grateful. Steve must have known he was lying. He wasn't stupid! It wasn't Loki's fault Steve had decided to help him anyway.  
But then, if it wasn't his fault, why did he feel so rotten?!


	5. Sentiment

Steve sat on his bed, watching the morning news with a thoughtful frown.  
He had come in and turned on the TV as soon as he had seen what was outside the window. And the multiple missed calls on his Starkphone from Nick Fury.

It was not encouraging viewing. On any news channel. He was flicking through them and despite the different presenters and interviews, the same story was playing.

'I saw him! Horns and everything! It was Loki! I know it!'

'Is this the start of another invasion-'

'Didn't the Avengers kick his ass? Sorry, can I say 'ass' on TV?'

'Him and Captain America eatin' burgers together! What'sa world comin' to?!'

'According to eye witnesses, Loki fired on officers-

'No statement from the Avengers or SHIELD at this time-'

'Never mind that horn headed lunatic! We should be concerned about that wall crawling menace Spiderm-!'

Steve turned off the TV and double checked his Starkphone was switched off.  
Okay, 99% of news channels were talking about what had happened in the diner the day before.

Steve passed a hand over his face.

Not good.

They would have to find somewhere else to stay for a bit until this all died down. But first, Steve had an appointment to keep.  
He heard the fire escape in the den opening and rolled his eyes.

Loki pulled up his hood and began to climb out of the window.  
He gasped as he felt a burning pain on his wrist. He hastily stepped back into the apartment. The burning died away. He cautiously extended his hand past the window threshold, gritting his teeth at his stinging wrist.  
He watched his fingers change into feathers and the glow extend to his wrist. It stopped, the glow fading as the change halted. His hand was gone, replaced with the beginnings of a magpie's wing.  
He heard Steve come up behind him.

'No sneaking out', Steve said, 'Remember?'

Loki turned and was gratified to hear Steve give a small gasp when he saw Loki's hand. As Loki's whole body was now back in the apartment, the geis started to wear off. Loki watched the feathers revert slowly back into fingers.

'Why not just keep me that way?' Loki asked, flexing them to dispel some pins and needles, 'Why change me back?'

'What, keep you like a pet or something?' Steve asked, 'Wouldn't be able to do much as a magpie'.

'I couldn't do any harm that way', Loki said.

'You're not doing any harm now. But I could use your help', Steve said, 'If you're not busy?'

'More laundry?' Loki asked, raising an eyebrow.

'Hard to beat that excitement I know', Steve smirked, pulling on his jacket, 'But hopefully it won't be too boring for you'.

Loki followed Steve back into the den. Steve gestured for Loki to take a position on the opposite side of the main window. Loki noticed the blinds were closed despite the sunny day outside.

'I need you to distract these guys', Steve said, opening the blinds just enough so Loki could see outside.

There were multiple vans outside. Different acronyms were stamped on the sides. People were bustling about with various pieces of equipment. Loki couldn't identify all of them but he saw cameras and microphones. Here and there were people fixing their hair and straightening suits of various qualities and colours.  
Loki knew the media when he saw them. Asgard had their own culture vultures and he had been set upon by them as soon as Thor had pushed him out of Heimdall's eyrie. It had not been a pleasant experience. Though he doubted that these reporters would be interested in hurling abuse and rotten fruit along with their questions at Steve. Steve was also lacking the handcuffs and muzzle Loki had been sporting.

'Where are you going?' Loki asked.

'I just want to get out for a bit', Steve said, 'Clear my head. Pretty sure they have eyes on the fire escape too'.

Loki did not exactly detect deception in Steve's response but it definitely carried a hint of omission. Loki pretended to accept it.

'I take it you want me to avoid drawing any further attention to our co-habitation?' Loki asked.

'Right. No killing, no destruction of public property and come right back here when you're done', Steve listed.

'Fine. Just take all the fun out of it', Loki said drily, heading out the front door.

As soon as Loki stepped out of the complex, a multitude of cries went up.

'There he is! It's Rogers!'

'Geez, that guy can move!'

'Get in the van, don't lose him!'

Loki bolted.

As he ran, he desperately dodged cars and swerved around the dozens of pedestrians in his path.

Why did New York have to be so busy?!  
Loki leapt over yet another stack of newspapers and ignored the curses of the vendor he had accidentally knocked over. He hoped the man's position on the street would act as a good obstacle for his pursuers on foot. He was deliberately not going as fast as he could usually run. He wanted the reporters to chase him and that meant remaining as a viable target. At least long enough for Steve to sneak out of the fire escape. They were persistent though: he had easily been going full tilt for six blocks!

It was time to lose them.  
He hadn't changed into Steve (that would've taken too much magic) but if the reporters got close enough, they would very quickly see through the insubstantial illusion of Steve that Loki had conjured around himself. If he, an Asgardian (or technically, an Asgardian equivalent) had been going half pace for six blocks, then by all rights, Steve would be outside the city limits by now! Picking up the pace slightly to increase the distance between his pursuers and himself, he turned a corner into an alleyway. Seeing a nearby trashcan, he grimaced. It would have to do.  
A few seconds later, the media came around the same corner like a pack of baying hounds. The alley was empty.  
Loki could hear the confused voices from his refuge inside the trashcan. He had just about managed to drop the illusion and put the lid back on. He thanked the stars it had been empty but it was still bringing back bad memories of childhood injustices. He heard the voices starting to drift away. He heard the alarming noise of some optimistic (or delusional) person opening one of the nearby dumpsters but thankfully, nobody searched the trashcan. After all, they were looking for Captain America. He would fit in a dumpster but not a small trashcan. If Captain America was the kind of person who would hide in a dumpster.  
Loki sat there for a full ten minutes for safety before slightly raising the lid. He peeked through the miniscule gap and saw the reporters had left. He scrambled out of the trashcan and waved a hand over his mussed clothes. They immediately became clean.

'So, what now?' Loki wondered aloud.

He knew he was supposed to go back to the apartment but where exactly was Steve going?  
Why had he needed such a head start? Perhaps he was leaving the city. What for?  
Why order Loki back to the apartment instead of telling him to rendezvous with him?  
He didn't want Loki to see what he was up to.  
Was Steve going to hand him over to Asgard or SHIELD?! No, he couldn't. He had to protect Loki: the geis meant he had to. Unless he had discovered a way to break it? Impossible! Loki had been very specific. Hadn't he?!  
Steve wouldn't hand him over. He swore he wouldn't. Loki believed him. He did. Captain America was a hero. To normal people. To Midgardians. Who Loki had tried to destroy. Who Loki had tried to attack just the day before.  
Were there enemies converging on his position right now?  
He needed to get airborne.  
He knew he didn't have enough magic to stay transformed for long but all he needed to do was get into the air. Hopefully the geis would do the rest.  
He leapt into the air and flew into the air as a magpie.  
As he rose, he tested the air and scanned the horizon. No enemies that he could see. Good. He found his bearings and began to fly. He focused on the magical energy from Steve's geis brand and began to follow the thaumic trail. As soon as Loki had deviated enough from the path to the apartment, a magical surge passed through him. The geis had discerned his intentions to disobey and locked him in his current form of a magpie just as he had expected it to. All the more reason to find out where Steve had gone quickly.

Loki followed the trail outside the city and was soon flying low over a much greener area. He was amazed how quiet it seemed compared to New York. The geis energy suddenly surged and Loki realised he had flown past Steve's location. He corrected his course and landed on a brick perimeter wall.  
He was surprised: he had seen the building as he had flown past but had automatically discounted it. He read the sign above the entrance again to make sure he had not mistaken the text. Reading it the second time did not give him any further information. According to the magical energy, Steve was somewhere inside the building. Loki took flight again, flying towards Steve.

What was Steve Rogers doing at a retirement home?

Loki perched on a tree and looked down.  
The tree was in the centre of a quad set in the centre of the retirement home. Here and there elderly Midgardians milled about, supported by other people or various mechanical contraptions. One woman was sitting on a bench, scattering crumbs for a voracious pack of pigeons that had settled around her feet. Loki couldn't see Steve anywhere. He decided to get a closer look.  
He fluttered down from his perch and began to mimic the other birds by pecking at the ground nearby. There was another magpie amongst the pigeons so he was confident he wouldn't stand out.  
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a nurse approaching the woman.

'Hello Peggy', she said quietly, 'Enjoying the garden?'

Loki looked at the elderly women as she smiled at the nurse.  
Could it be?

'Oh yes', Peggy said, 'Steve's gone in to get me a shawl'.

'It is', Loki said and it came out as a small chitter.

'Oh shush, you'll get your turn', Peggy chided him and threw him a bread crust.

Loki let the other birds have it, listening carefully to the conversation.

'Must be pretty special, being Captain America's favourite girl', the nurse said, putting a pillow behind Peggy's back.

Peggy gave a smile that lit up her face despite her wrinkles.  
Loki knew this was no ordinary old woman. It was Peggy Carter. Loki had read about her in the Captain America autobiography he had been given while in SHIELD custody. Loki recalled the photographs that had been included. Time had been kinder to Steve than Peggy.

'Steve says he has a new roommate', Peggy was saying conversationally, 'They have lots in common'.

Loki froze in place.  
Steve had told Peggy about him? Why?! What could an arthritic, addled woman do with such information?! Unless she was not as helpless as she seemed?

'Is he another superhero?' the nurse asked, oblivious to Loki's discomfort.

'Steve gets embarrassed when people say that', Peggy laughed but then she became thoughtful, 'I'm glad he's got someone to live with. He's been lonely'.

'Lonely?' the nurse asked, confused.

Steve hadn't seemed lonely to Loki. However, now he thought about it, he hadn't seen any of the other Avengers. Steve had no family but then, why not try to spend as much time as possible with what few friends you did have? Was he naturally a loner? Or had he been isolating himself because of Loki's presence?

'Doesn't he stay with the other Avengers?' the nurse was asking.

Peggy shook her head then seemed to become distracted.

'Oh, look. Two magpies. That's a good sign', she commented.

She looked into the distance, somewhere behind Loki.

'Isn't it Steve?' she asked.

Too late, Loki heard Steve's heavy footprints behind him. He hopped on the spot and looked up at Steve.

'Sure is', Steve said, too cheerily, 'Watch this'.

Steve knelt down to Loki and extended his arm.

'Get on my hand', he whispered through barely moving lips.

The tone brooked no argument. Loki knew if he didn't, Steve would probably grab him anyway.  
Loki obeyed docilely as Peggy clapped and laughed delightedly at Steve's apparent mastery of birds.

Steve brought Loki over to Peggy and tilting his hand, forced Loki onto the back of Peggy's.

'Go ahead, pet him', Steve said.

Loki had no choice but to sit there and accept Peggy's gentle strokes of his head and back. Steve meanwhile, placed a blue shawl around Peggy's thin shoulders and tied it in a loose knot.

'Oh he's a good boy isn't he?' Peggy exclaimed, 'How did you learn to do that?'

'You just need to speak their language', Steve said, offering his hand back to Loki.

Loki hopped back onto Steve's hand. Steve turned away from Peggy and spoke to Loki in a low, stern voice.

'Go wait at the window around the corner until I come to let you in'.

Steve threw his arm out, launching Loki into the air. Loki flapped his wings and he began to look for the rendezvous point.

Steve excused himself hastily from Peggy and the nurse.  
Heading back inside, he rushed towards the male visitor's bathroom. Stopping at a janitorial closet on the way, he grabbed a 'Closed for Cleaning' sign. Reaching the bathroom and ensuring it was empty, he placed the sign outside the door to deter any would be interlopers.  
He could see a small dark shape through the blurred glass of the thin window set high into the wall. Reaching up, he took out the deadbolt and propped it open. Loki hopped in and glided down onto the sinks.  
Steve frowned at the bird and thought the codeword: Truth.

The magpie, beginning to glow gold with magic, hastily flew into one of the cubicles, out of sight. When the cubicle door was opened, Loki stepped out, fully clothed with a tense expression on his face. Steve saw it as the face of a kid caught playing with matches.

'How did you know it was me?' Loki asked.

'Probably a side effect of this', Steve said showing his geis tattoo, 'It's been tickling for the last 45 minutes. What are you doing here?'

Loki opened his mouth but Steve held up a finger.

'No lies', he warned.

'Curiosity', Loki answered.

To Loki, this wasn't technically a lie. Apparently the geis agreed judging from the lack of sudden feathers.

Steve was not satisfied however. He walked up to Loki and laid a finger on his chest.  
Loki took a step back, disturbed by how much strength was evident in such a tiny gesture from Steve.

'Leave her alone Loki. I mean it', Steve said, usual good natured voice buried beneath a cold veneer.

'I have no interest in Peggy Carter', Loki snapped, brushing Steve's finger away defiantly.

'Then why follow me?' Steve asked, crossing his arms, 'Thought I was going back on our deal?'

Loki said nothing.  
Was it that obvious?

'Why would you think that?!' Steve asked exasperatedly.

Loki, again, said nothing.  
Why had he thought that? It had seemed so obvious at the time that it was what Steve would be doing. He had just assumed…

Steve rubbed the bridge of his nose, patience with Loki's silent treatment swiftly decreasing.

'Loki. Let's stop dancing around the issue okay? Why did you really come back to earth? You're not interested in making things right and if your idea of revenge is terrorising waitresses in diners and stalking me on visits to old folk's homes, it's pretty petty, even for you. Are you running from this Thanos you told me about?'

'No', Loki said, 'Thankfully I haven't heard from him since I left Earth for Asgard'.

'Then what are you running from?! Your plan was to get back to Asgard. Why come back here and risk getting your head cut off?'

Loki knew that there was no point lying about it anymore. At this stage, telling the truth, he'd be lucky if Steve let him leave this bathroom. After all, he barely believed it himself!

'The truth is I don't know why I'm here', Loki admitted, 'I was in my cell on Asgard one minute then the next I woke up in an alley and against all odds bumped into you. That's all I know'.

'And then you lied to my face about wanting to make amends?' Steve pressed.

'At first', Loki said.

He surprised himself with the answer that came out of his mouth.

Steve, seeing the shock on Loki's face, decided to press his advantage. He hadn't meant 'No lies' to be a command but the geis seemed to have declared it one.

'What do you mean 'at first'?' he pushed, 'You lied about other things too?'

'No!' Loki cried.

'At least that's something', Steve thought as he said, 'Then explain yourself. Now'.

'I'm sorry I lied', Loki said, hating the geis more and more with each passing moment.  
He had proposed it as a way to ensure protection, not as an interrogation tool that could be used against him! What was worse was he couldn't seem to shut up!

'I didn't expect you to believe the truth', Loki continued, 'I thought you would hand me over to SHIELD or Asgard but I had no right or reason to doubt you in return. You have done nothing but help me since I've been here and…'

Loki wished the floor would just swallow him up.

'…and I've caused you nothing but trouble', he concluded.

'So?' Steve asked abrasively, 'You're telling me that bothers you but the Chitauri invasion doesn't?'

'It bothers me that I don't understand why you haven't handed me over!' Loki suddenly shouted.

His voice echoed in the quiet room, bouncing off the hard, white surfaces.

'You're a piece of work Loki', Steve said, once the echoes had died away, 'but I won't be responsible for your death'.

Loki felt like his words were a volcano exploding. The niggling questions that had been buzzing in his brain over the past few days were swarming and bursting from his mouth before he could stop them.

'Why does my life matter to you?!' Loki cried, 'I tried to kill you in the past!'

'You could've slit my throat a hundred times in the last two days', Steve shrugged, 'Can't help but feel your heart's not really in it'.

'Are you insinuating I should try harder?!' Loki snapped, raising a fist threateningly.

Seeing Loki's increasingly agitated state, Steve decided to take it down a notch.  
Had Loki seriously just asked Steve why his life mattered?  
Despite his anger at Loki's unwanted intrusion into his privacy, he felt bad seeing him like this. Loki acted high and mighty but here he was asking Steve why he hadn't killed him yet. They didn't seem like the kind of questions a tyrant would ask. They were sick questions. Sad questions.  
Despite all his protestations and justifications, did Loki actually believe, deep down, that he deserved to be punished for what he had done? Could a liar fool himself?  
And he had said he had only lied about wanting to make amends 'at first'. Did that mean what Steve thought it did?

'I'm saying I don't believe anyone is beyond help', Steve said calmly, 'Even a god of lies who claims to hate everybody who's not him'.

Just like that, all of the anger went out of Loki. His fist went limp and dropped to his side. He ran his other hand through his hair. How were you supposed to be angry with someone who thought you were a good person deep down?!

'I still don't understand', Loki said, 'Where does this come from?'

He looked intently at Steve, as if he were a puzzle piece he was trying to fit into a final design.

'This has come from somewhere', Loki mused, 'A failure of some sort. Who could you not save? who did you not have a chance to forgive?'

Loki saw a stricken look briefly light up Steve's face before it vanished. So, Captain America had lost somebody. Somebody he cared about but who had done awful things. Who had betrayed his trust somehow. But who? Who in the Avengers would be capable of acts comparable to Loki's? The woman? The monster?

'You don't have to understand', Steve said, running his hands under a tap, 'Personally I'm more interested in who let you out of your cell'.

'That makes two of us', Loki said, washing his own hands, 'Why would someone put me on Earth without a clue as to why I'm here?'

Steve laughed. The tension between them evaporated like a reverse vacuum. He grabbed some paper towels and handed them to Loki.

'Welcome to the human race', Steve said, 'That feeling's not unusual around here'.

Loki took the towels and dried his hands. He leant on the sink and stared into the mirror. He looked pathetic. He felt pathetic.

Steve threw his own towels in the trash and looked at Loki. He looked downcast and ill at ease. He looked so much like a lost little kid that, after a moment's hesitation, Steve put a hand on his shoulder. To his surprise, Loki didn't pull back. His shoulder stiffened slightly but his face gave nothing away.

Steve's hand felt warm on his shoulder, the grip firm but gentle. It reminded him of his brother's good natured shoulder slaps. Loki felt like he should pull away but couldn't bring himself to. He was a child again, the wordless companionship in Steve's touch too much to resist. The desire to believe that 'everything will be alright' too overpowering. For the first time, Loki was forced to admit that the old doctor, Erskine, really had known what he had been doing in choosing Steve. Steve genuinely wanted to help him and in spite of everything, in that moment, Loki did not want to disappoint him.

A crack of thunder suddenly split the air overhead and Loki jumped, jarring Steve's hand from his shoulder. He pivoted on the spot, eyes cast nervously upwards.  
Steve looked at the window pane and saw heavy drops beginning to patter against the blurred glass.

'It's okay', Steve said, 'It's just a rainstorm. Been building for a while'.

Loki nodded, his reddening face an obvious sign of his embarrassment. He looked at Steve as if daring him to laugh.

'Let's get out of here', Steve said, careful to keep his face serious, 'Just let me say goodbye to Peggy first'.

They headed down a corridor full of dormitories and as they approached Peggy's room, the nurse from the quad came out.  
She saw Steve and came over.

'Sorry Captain but she's sleeping now', the nurse said in a hushed voice, 'It's wonderful for her to have someone her own age (so to speak) to talk to. She's much more responsive when you're here'.

Steve smiled gratefully. He looked in through Peggy's room window. She was sleeping peacefully.

'The trip from Washington didn't tire her out too much?' he asked.

'A bit but she said it was worth it to move here', the nurse replied, 'It must be better for you too, now you've moved back to NYC. Same time next week?'

'Wouldn't miss it', Steve said, 'Thanks for taking care of her'.

Steve began to walk away. Loki hesitated for a moment, looking in at Peggy thoughtfully before hastening to catch up with Steve.

As they walked towards the entrance, Loki reflected on Thor's relationship with the human woman. This was the same thing. It was obvious Steve knew Peggy's mayfly days were numbered. He must have known before he found her again. Yet here he was, visiting a dying woman because of who she used to be even though it caused him pain. Loki had often scoffed at Thor's reluctance to face the truth but this was not the same. Thor dealt with problems by not dwelling on them and focusing on the fight at hand. Steve had accepted the inevitable and decided to put the needs of a dying woman first regardless of the hurt it caused him.  
The automatic doors parted for them and Steve opened his umbrella. Loki moved closer to him to get better coverage and they stepped out into the rain.  
Peggy had mentioned Steve was lonely. Did he have a woman? Did he even want one? Had Peggy been his intended first before fate had thrown the dice and changed the game?  
Their shoes crunched on the gravel drive that led down to the main road. Loki cast a glance upwards at Steve. Steve noticed him looking and smiled companionably at him. Loki couldn't bring himself to smile back.  
So much loss and yet Steve could still smile like that.  
It was...extraordinary.  
Steve's sudden halt of movement cut into Loki's musings. Loki looked up and saw a figure was waiting for them at the gatepost.  
Loki felt like his heart had stopped.  
The massive figure, seeing they had noticed him, began to approach, a heavy hammer gripped in his large fist. He shook his head, water scattering from his blonde mane of hair.  
Loki took an instinctive step back only to feel Steve's hand on his back. From the tension in his body language, he hadn't been expecting Thor either.

'Hello Thor, heard you were in London', Steve said amiably.

'My business there is concluded', Thor replied, coming to a halt, 'I retrieved the artefact I was sent for'.

'What brings you here?' Steve asked.

Loki saw that Steve's attempts to keep things light were not working. Thor had not stopped glaring at him since spotting him.

'A Midgardian news segment', Thor said brusquely, 'Hand him over'.

He took a step forward. Loki turned and Steve's hand moved up to his shoulder, holding him in place.

'I can't do that Thor', Steve said.

'It was not a request Captain', Thor replied, 'I know you have attempted to reach out to him in the past but this is Asgardian business. I have a duty to prevent him from causing harm to any individual that calls this planet home'.

Loki looked up at Steve. He couldn't read his expression.

'Why does he look like that?' Thor asked, raising an eyebrow, 'An attempt to gain sympathy?'

'The journey here messed up his magic', Steve said.

'Good. It will make carrying him easier', Thor said and grabbed Loki's arm.

Loki tried to pull back but felt Steve suddenly push him forward. He stumbled and Thor was able to slip an arm around Loki's waist. Loki found himself tucked under Thor's arm: a helpless child. He kicked spitefully.

'What are you doing?!' Loki screamed at Steve, 'You said you'd protect me!'

'Trust me', Steve said simply.

Thor began to twirl Mjolnir by the strap attached to the handle. Loki continued to fight but abruptly stopped upon catching sight of Steve.  
He had fallen to his knees and was staring at his hands. His umbrella had fallen from his hand.  
They were withering like wood cast into a fire, the joints bulging arthritically and his blonde hair was bleaching and thinning.

Thor, confused at Loki's sudden cessation of movement, caught sight of Steve.  
He stopped trying to take off and dropped Loki. Loki scrambled in the mud and tried to stand.  
Thor yanked him to his feet with one hand.

'What black magic have you conjured up Loki?!' Thor yelled in his face, 'Free Steve Rogers at once!'

'To do that, you have to let go of me!' Loki cried.

He looked at Steve. The geis effects were getting worse. Steve's back was hunching and he was moaning in pain.

'You dare to blackmail me?!' Thor roared as lightning split the sky overhead, 'Your freedom for the life of my friend?!'

'Let me go! Please!' Loki yelled frantically, 'I beg you!'

Thor's eyes widened and he dropped Loki.  
Loki was begging?

He watched Loki run to Steve's side.  
As soon as Loki got near the First Avenger, the debilitating magic began to reverse itself. Steve's hair became fuller and healthier and he began to stand again, his broad muscles filling out his frame once more.

'What trickery is this?' Thor growled.

Steve cricked his back.

'Sorry for the scare Thor', he said breathlessly, 'I just thought showing would be easier than trying to tell'.

He looked at Loki who averted his eyes.

'I also wanted to see just what I'd agreed to', Steve concluded.

'Why in Hel would you agree to be his protector?!' Thor asked, making the connection between events.

He also noted how Loki hovered at Steve's side, looking him over. Almost as if he were concerned.

'It's not a one-way street Thor', Steve explained, 'Watch. Loki: I order you not to stand on one foot'.

Despite the crawling shame he felt at having to disobey such a petty order to prove a point and knowing his brother would see him in such a helpless state, Loki stood on one foot. It wasn't as if he had a choice. The inevitable change happened and Loki the magpie settled down on a nearby stone.  
Thor's eyes narrowed as Steve showed him the geis mark on his wrist.

'He can't change back without me', Steve explained, 'And I can't let you take him back to Asgard'.

'Because of this spell?' Thor asked, 'We can get you help. We have other sorcerers who could-'

'Because I promised him I wouldn't condemn him to death', Steve corrected, 'That's what will happen if you take him back right?'

'What do I do then?!' Thor asked angrily, 'Leave him here on earth to continue with whatever scheme he's concocted?!'

'There is no scheme Thor', Steve said, 'Not this time. He didn't escape. he says he was broken out'.

Lightning flashed, illuminating Thor's incredulous expression.

'And you believed him?!'

'Just, hear me out: if he escaped, why run back here of all places?'

'I don't pretend to know how the mind of a traitor works', Thor growled, shooting Loki a venomous look.

'To be honest I thought you might have been the one that set him free', Steve shrugged.

A rumble of thunder acted as a clear indication of what Thor thought of Steve's theory.

'Alright, well if nobody helped him', Steve said, 'could he have gotten out himself?'

Thor considered the question. His face showed the answer he was coming up with bothered him immensely.

'He is clever but he would be the first to ever escape and we would have known of it straight away'.

'Do you know anybody who may have wanted to break him out?' Steve asked.

'I intend to find out. it is not impossible that there may be elements of Asgardian society who wish to see him returned to the throne. If he is telling the truth'.

Steve held out a hand. Recognising the signal, Loki flew to Steve's hand and perched.

'Loki's said that he wants to make amends for what he's done while he's here', Steve said carefully.

'Many would argue the best way to do that would be to accept his punishment and act as a cautionary tale for future generations', Thor snapped.

'And what do you think? Do you think it's possible for someone to change their ways for the better?' Steve asked.

'Clever captain', thought Loki as he watched Thor's jaw tighten. The Odinson had had plenty of time for such reflection during his sojourn as a mortal in New Mexico. His arrogance had given way to humility (or so they said: Loki had seen little evidence of such a change) despite a history spanning centuries of mindless brawling and boasting.

Loki approved of Steve's tactic: the best way to meet force was to reflect it at the user.

Steve had been right when he had told Peggy he and Loki had some things in common.

After a few minutes of consideration, Thor made his decision.

'Do you honestly believe you can hold him to his word?' he asked Steve.

'He's still sitting here isn't he?' Steve asked, 'I didn't tell him to stay'.

'Very well. If you are content to act as his jailer, then I accept your decision. But I must make some things clear before I take my leave'.

Thor suddenly grabbed Loki from his perch. Steve made to move forward but realised the geis was not activating. Thor had no intention of hurting Loki despite the murderous look on his face.

'Stop your squawking you bird of ill omen!' Thor thundered, 'If I hear so much as a whisper that you are up to any of your old tricks, any of them, there will be nowhere to hide. Your continued freedom is  
thanks to the respect I hold for Captain America and my unwillingness to see my mother's tears. Nothing more. As soon as you become bored of this game (and we both know you will), there will be an executioner's block waiting. No matter your form'.

He flung Loki towards Steve. Steve hastily caught him, cushioning him with both hands. Loki broke from his grip and flew to a nearby tree.  
Thor seemed satisfied that at least the part about Loki's enforced transformation seemed to be true.

'You were planning on making the others aware of his presence here?'

Steve knew Thor wasn't really asking a question.

'Once he'd had a chance to settle in, yes', Steve said.

'Consider him settled', Thor said, 'I will quietly investigate Loki's absence from Asgard and let you know what I find out. It disturbs me that nobody, not even Heimdall, seems to have noticed he is missing'.

'Do you do 'quiet'?' Steve asked.

Thor gave a short chuckle.

'Thank you Thor', Steve said.

'Do not thank me for handing you a venomous snake', Thor said, face darkening, 'He is unworthy of your protection'.

'How many times did someone tell you that?' Steve asked.

Thor's eyes darted to Loki. Loki stared back at him, his avian face giving nothing away.

'I wish I had listened', Thor said with just a hint of sadness.

Then he was gone, flying into the clouds like a reversed crimson lightning strike. The heavens took this as a cue to open properly. Steve retrieved his umbrella.

'Come here Loki', Steve called.

Loki flitted over from his tree and settled on Steve's wrist.

'Are you alright?'

Loki shook his feathered head vigorously. Asgard may not be actively hunting him but Thor's knowledge of his freedom was cold comfort. Once he found out who was behind Loki's escape, he would probably drag him right back to Asgard anyway. Of all his enemies, why did it have to be his dear brother who had been in the neighbourhood to discover him?!

Loki had proposed the geis to force steve to protect him from physical threats. That didn't cover things like, for example, a seemingly random lightning strike. If Loki was on the receiving end of something like that, Steve would not be affected at all: in essence, the magic would not 'blame' him for failing to keep his end of the bargain with Loki. He had a sickening feeling that Thor may have guessed this already and would not hesitate to test the theory should Loki stray from the path of good.

If the other Avengers didn't tear him apart first!  
Why was it that every time he thought he was coming out on top, all it did was tighten a noose around his neck?!

'Really?' Steve commented, 'I thought it went quite well!'

He unzipped his jacket and held Loki close to the inside pocket. Loki looked up at him, affronted.

'May as well save the bus fare right?' Steve asked.

Loki gave a brief, irritated chatter and ruffled his feathers to shake off any excess water before begrudgingly hopping into Steve's inside pocket. Steve gave him a minute to settle before resuming his walk down to the bus stop. Looking down inside his jacket, he saw Loki looking up at him.

'Don't worry', he said, 'I've got a plan for how to introduce you to the others'.

Loki's look practically screamed, 'I'm not going to like this, am I?'

'First part is easy: you need to say sorry', Steve said, 'Next part's hard: they need to believe you'.

Steve's subtle sigh made it obvious that despite his outward optimism, he knew just how 'hard' this was likely to be.  
Loki dejectedly tucked his head beneath a wing.  
He was doomed.


	6. Show and Tell

'Well that's inconvenient', Steve muttered as he pulled back from the crowd.

The crowd of civilians had gathered outside his apartment during his and Loki's absence. Despite the torrential rain, their numbers had gradually grown and vehicles which now included (to Steve's dismay), two police cars and a SHIELD van. It was easy to take advantage of the number of curious onlookers as well as his umbrella and baseball cap to hide his identity.  
There were signs scattered throughout the crowd: many concerned Loki and what the holder thought of his supposed presence back on Earth. None of the writing was positive.  
Steve had gone to the back of the crowd to get a better look, glancing over people's heads to see how surrounded the apartment was. The SHIELD van was positioned in front of the alley leading to the fire escape.  
With the sheer quantity of eyes watching the building, he was forced to concede that there was no way in.

He began to walk away, collar drawn up close to his neck, partly to keep himself dry from rainstorm and also to keep Loki (still sheathed in his pocket as a magpie) sheltered.

'It's okay', Steve said, 'I know where we can go. Not like you had any luggage right?'

He felt a brief rustle in his pocket as Loki shook his head.

Loki waited outside his second bathroom window that day, once again waiting for Steve to let him in. They appeared to be outside a museum. Steve had whispered it was the Brooklyn Museum before directing him to his current perch.  
Steve had left his motorcycle at a nearby garage for repairs a few days before. The plan was to pick it up then drive on to the location Steve intended for them to use as their new living quarters.

'It was bound to happen sooner or later. I'd just hoped for later'.

Steve's voice drifted through the opening as the window creaked open. Loki squeezed inside and flew to the sink. He looked at the hand dryer, swivelling his head between it and Steve.  
Steve smiled as he picked up on Loki's meaning. He clicked the button and hot air began blasting out.  
Loki opened his wings and flapped them, letting the warmth bleed through his feathers. He was forced to leap out every few seconds as the heat got too much for him.  
The dryer died away and Loki saw Steve had a bundle of paper towels in his hand.

'Stand here', Steve said and Loki hopped closer to him, standing in front of a sink.

Steve began to dry him with the paper towels. Loki gave a muted chirp and Steve knew he appreciated the attention. Steve knew the dryer wouldn't have dried him properly, just dealt with surface water.  
Loki flapped his wings and Steve knew he had had enough.  
He flew to a cubicle and Steve held the door shut for him.  
Truth, he thought.  
After a few seconds, Loki knocked on the door and came out. He had stuck with his usual casual clothes but had changed the hoodie to a dark green raincoat.  
Steve hastily stifled a laugh. Loki looked at him confused before catching sight of himself in a mirror. He sighed heavily in annoyance and walked to the sinks. Running a tap, he began to fix his hair which, thanks to Steve's ministrations with the towels now resembled a rather matted bird's nest.

'I'm sorry', he said abruptly.

'For what?' Steve asked.

'Being responsible for our eviction', Loki said.

Steve quickly scanned the comment for sarcasm and was pleasantly surprised to find it clean.

'Don't worry about it', Steve replied, 'The rent was too high anyway'.

Loki continued working on his hair but Steve could sense his disquiet. This was amazing: not just one but multiple apologies in one day?! And all of them sincere?!

'Told you. I saw this coming when I agreed to let you stay', Steve said reassuringly, 'Got another place we can go'.

This seemed to bolster Loki somewhat as he asked, 'Where?'

'You'll see. But first, lunch?'

As Loki finished his sandwich, Steve returned from his sojourn to the museum gift shop.  
He pushed a pen and notepad across the table to Loki. They had chosen a table in the corner of the museum canteen. Obscured by a large potted plant, it hid their location but also allowed Steve to keep an eye on the perimeter. The pair doubted anybody would be looking for them in an art museum but both also appreciated the value of caution.

'What's this for?' Loki asked.

Steve picked up his own sandwich that he had left on the table and pointed at the pen with his other hand.

'Your apology'.

'I thought I had already done so', Loki said, confused, 'Unless you want a written record for posterity?'

Steve shook his head.

'This one's not for me', he said, 'It's for the others'.

Loki looked aghast. Steve wasn't surprised at the reaction and showed Loki as much by unconcernedly taking a bite of his ham on rye.

'You're not very good at jokes', Loki muttered, eyeing the pen and paper as if they would bite him.

'It's not like I'm asking you to write one for each person', Steve said, taking a sip from his soda.

'Oh a catch all then?' Loki said with faux enthusiasm, 'Alright! Dear Avengers, I'm sorry for trying to take over your world. Love Loki. P.S Thank you so much for sticking your noses into my business and taking away what is rightfully mine'.

'Dear Loki', Steve replied casually, 'Thank you for your letter. We are sorry to hear you are dissatisfied with our service and will endeavour to do better in the future. You had no legal claim to New York which we informed you of on several occasions. Captain America is trying very hard to be patient with you and he hopes you have enjoyed the food and board he has provided up until this point. However such privileges-'

'Alright alright!' Loki snapped as he grabbed the pen, 'But how am I supposed to apologise if I don't really feel sorry? Wouldn't that be another lie?'

'What do you feel?'

'Humiliated? Weak? Pathetic? Stop me any time you like!'

'Why?'

Loki looked at him incredulously.

'Because the Avengers destroyed my life and you want me to apologise to them!' he snapped, trying to show his anger without drawing too attention.

'How did we beat you Loki?' Steve asked in a detached voice.

'The monster picked me up by the ankle and after that I confess it gets a bit blurry', Loki snarled, 'Fairly confident I lost though'.

'Seriously', Steve said, like a teacher explaining something to an unruly child, 'How did we beat you? You had an army, you outnumbered us…'

'You worked together!' Loki interrupted grudgingly, tiring of Steve's attempts to draw an answer from him.

'Don't you ever get lonely Loki?' Steve asked.

Loki laughed. He was above such things as 'loneliness'. Loneliness was for those who had no imagination. He had never been one for friends: he had only associated with Thor's because his mother worried about his isolationist attitude.

'I know you're taking me to an Avengers safehouse of some kind', Loki said, diverting the subject, 'I've been wondering: why don't you live with the others? Do you not get lonely?'

'I'm working on that', Steve said brightly, 'I got a roommate didn't I?'

He could tell Loki wasn't fooled by his flippant answer but he didn't feel like dragging up what kept him up at night. Bucky was still out there somewhere. He had wanted a place where he could think in peace. The Avengers were the closest thing to a family he had but wasn't Bucky also a part of his family? They had been like brothers and he needed help. Wherever he was. He had needed space to investigate in private but now it seemed it would be put on hold. Though, maybe it was for the best. He hadn't had a new lead in weeks.

'I just like my space', Steve said simply, 'You can understand that can't you?'

Loki was tapping the pen on the notepad as he looked blankly at the blank paper but Steve could tell he understood.  
Suddenly Steve found the pen dangerously close to the tip of his nose.

'I'm not writing to Thor', Loki insisted, 'Not for what is essentially an inflated case of sibling rivalry'.

Steve nodded and Loki began to write.  
Steve had just finished his sandwich as Loki folded the paper and tucked it inside his coat.

'No proof reading?' Steve asked, raising a cynical eyebrow.

'You don't trust me?' Loki asked, crossing his arms.

Steve picked up the packaging from their lunch and threw it in a nearby trashcan. He should be glad Loki wrote anything at all. If the 'anything' turned out to be insulting, they would deal with the consequences later. Maybe letting Loki keep the note under wraps would convince him to write a more suitable one before he was due to give it to the others.

'I wanna show you something before we go', Steve said, 'Come on'.

As he walked out of the canteen, his eyes scanned the area. The art museum was not crowded: it was unlikely they would be noticed but Steve had kept his baseball cap on just in case. His eyes widened as he felt a sudden grip on his hand but also realised the hand was much smaller than his own.

'I'm your son. We came into the art museum to get out of the rain and you have suggested we take a quick look in a bid to enrich my budding young mind. Any questions?'

Loki's voice brought back nostalgic memories of mission debriefings. Most recently of when Steve and Natasha had been evading the fake SHIELD agents in the mall. Steve found it weird to hear it come out of a child's mouth but also strangely comforting. Loki's specialty was stealth missions so he was a perfect partner in a situation like this.

'You want to ride on my shoulders?' Steve asked.

The pointed squeeze Loki gave his hand was answer enough. If he'd been a normal man, Steve was pretty sure his fingers would have just cracked like dry wood.

'I got an invitation to come see this a while ago', Steve said, opening the door to an exhibition hall, 'May as well take a look while we're here'.

Loki walked in and saw a large banner hanging from the ceiling. It was red with gold lettering: it proudly read 'Avengers Assemble'! Dozens of paintings were mounted on the walls in multiple mediums, from oil paintings to crayon drawings done by children. There were also sculptures and wire mesh models here and there of various sizes set on plinths or free standing on the laminated floors.

Steve was surprised to see Loki head for a plain small frame set near the door. It seemed to have been placed deliberately out of the way and lacked a label.

'You like that one?' Steve asked, following Loki.

Loki was looking at the image carefully. It was a pencil drawing on old, creased paper: on the surface a monkey was balancing precariously on a unicycle. There was a star on its chest. Steve felt a flash of annoyance. He had donated this to the museum as a gesture of good will when he had to decline their invitation to the grand opening of the exhibit. And they'd stuck it in a corner where people were likely to pass by it. He knew it wasn't as good as the other pieces (it had just been a doodle after all) but it did have some sentimental value for him. His notepad from World War Two had been one of the few effects that had survived his absence from the real world.

'It captures your features perfectly', Loki said analytically, 'Self-portrait?'

'How'd you know?' Steve asked, genuinely surprised Loki had identified it as one of his drawings.

'Art is supposed to lie. To prettify or warp based on what the viewer wants to see', Loki extolled, casting a critical eye around him, 'This is the only honest picture here. Besides, who else would be so deprecating about the 'Sentinel of Liberty'?'

'You?' Steve asked sardonically.

Loki smirked impishly and moved past him to view the next piece in the collection. After examinations of the next few paintings, Loki was struck by how similar they were. Heroic poses, images of strength in unity and frankly unrealistic bodily proportions all seemed to reign supreme.

'What is the point of this exhibit?' he asked, 'Self-aggrandisement?'

'It's meant to show what it takes to be a hero', Steve explained, 'To inspire others to be heroes in their everyday lives'.

'That sounds like a pamphlet talking', Loki said.

'It is', Steve admitted, 'To tell the truth, I didn't go to the opening because it didn't feel right'.

'You didn't want recognition for what you've done?'

'Doing the right thing isn't about parades, fanfares and statues being built in your honour. It's about being the best you can be even when there's nobody around to see you'.

'What you are in the dark etcetera?' Loki asked.

Steve nodded.

'You may not like us Loki but I trust the team to have my back no matter what. To do the right thing even if the rest of the world tells us it's wrong'.

'Even Stark?' Loki asked, 'The man seems to like a good parade'.

'He hasn't been in a parading mood lately', Steve said sadly.

Loki looked at him intrigued and Steve gestured to the farthest wall of paintings. A sign displaying the theme of the works was set into the wall above them.

'The Ultron Crisis', Loki read aloud.

Steve sat on a bench and watched Loki work his way across, piecing the story together for himself. Each painting had a small explanation of the events they depicted beneath their frames. Each one showed sombre scenes: death, destruction, hordes of metal men, a floating city...  
Steve didn't feel like dwelling on the events that had seen Tony retire from the team and shaken public opinion of everything the Avengers stood for. He knew Tony and a few of the others would not approve of Steve telling Loki about Ultron but Steve felt it would be hypocritical not to. How could he ask Loki to try and change his attitude if he hid mistakes the Avengers had made?

'What's the difference?' Loki asked as he finished examining the last painting.  
It showed the android 'Ultron', the villain of the story, eyes dark and body broken in front of a figure he didn't recognise: a red figure in a yellow cape.

'Between what?' Steve asked.

Loki sat beside him, eyes travelling across the makeshift timeline of the paintings.

'A man made monster and an Asgardian one?' Loki said, 'I don't see a picture of you reaching out to Ultron'.

'We couldn't: he couldn't escape the corruption in his programming', Steve said, 'You can'.

Steve stood up and pointed to three more paintings that would bring them full circle and back to where they had come in.  
Though there were few of them, Loki was astonished to find they depicted him.

The first was a straightforward battle scene: himself with the tesseract in hand about to engage the Avengers on the opposite side of the canvas. He was shorter than he should have been with serrated teeth and actual demonic horns sprouting from his forehead instead of the metallic adornments of his battle helmet. Loki scoffed at this: the interpretation was nothing new. He had seen more cutting depictions of him scribbled in Asgardian privies.  
The next one was 3D and it was obvious the artist had put a lot of thought into its design. Designed as an optical illusion, as the viewer passed, Loki was slammed from one side of the canvas to the other by a painted, grinning Hulk. It was appropriately labelled: Puny God. Judging from other similar pieces dotted here and there around the room (including an interactive puppet where the controller could move the Hulk's arm to assault a cloth doll of Loki), this particular event was a crowd pleaser. It dominated most of the children's drawings as well.  
The last painting was such a counterpoint to the previous light hearted piece that Loki stopped dead.  
It was of him sitting on a throne of bones. The sky was dark above him and a pillar of blue light shone from the top of a dark tower in the background. Ruined buildings encircled the central image of Loki on his throne like a morbid amphitheatre. Around Loki's throne were skeletons in the rags of armour and clothing. Bent and broken red metallic plates, a tattered red cape billowing in an imaginary wind and a torn white star over a ribcage stood out starkly against the dusty foreground. A hammer lay just out of reach of an outstretched skeletal hand, wisps of blonde hair still clinging to its owner's skull. One skeleton was much bigger than the rest, its giant bones cracked and in some places, shattered into pieces. Loki could see blurs painted into the sky that vaguely resembled the outline of Chitauri fliers descending from the portal.  
But what attracted his eye the most was his canvas doppleganger's expression. There was no victory in his eyes, no triumphant sneer. Just a blank look of emptiness as he rested his head in a hand. Loki's eyes travelled down to the painting's title.  
It's title was 'Avenged: Loki's Kingdom'.

'Cheerful', Loki commented, trying to hide the uneasy feelings the painting stirred in him.

'You need to see the positives and negatives to see the whole picture', Steve said, holding open the door for him.

As they descended the stairs to the main lobby, Loki stopped on the stairs.

'Who will be waiting for us at this place?' he asked.

'If Thor heard about us and he was in London, I'm pretty sure everyone will be there', Steve replied, halting with him.

Loki nodded and Steve saw him take out a piece of paper. Steve recognised it as the 'apology' he had written earlier. Loki opened it and re read what he had written. He abruptly crumpled it up and threw it in a waste bin.  
He had thought his words funny at the time. Apologising to the Hulk for his anger issues. Grovelling to the archer for not being able to find his brain. Asking if Stark could ever forgive him for damaging his window and then his floor. But now, the words seemed petty and childish. Unworthy of him.

'First draft', Loki explained as he saw Steve's curious look, 'I think I can do better'.


	7. Diplomacy

Loki rolled his eyes as he looked down at his chest and arms.  
It looked as if his clothing had spontaneously erupted in several isolated cases of measles.

'Destroyer guns?' he asked, remembering SHIELD's developmental technology.

'Nope', Steve said, 'Discontinued those. These are Destroyer sniper rifles'.

Steve got off his bike. From the amount of spots dancing on Loki's body, they were being covered by at least ten snipers and some were based in the woods surrounding the new Avengers base. It was best to walk to the base from here: Steve didn't want to give the snipers any reason to get itchy trigger fingers.  
He had called ahead when they had been getting close to the base but it was obvious from the way the doors had opened automatically at the approach of his bike and the telltale sound of a chopper that had been following them for the last few miles that they had been expecting them beforehand. They certainly had been informed of Loki's situation. He hoped SHIELD weren't the type to automatically point alien weaponry at a child.

'Joy', Loki drawled as he climbed off the bike, 'What is that noise?'

Steve could hear it too but it was pleasantly familiar to him.  
Seconds later, the source came flying towards them. Sam deactivated his wing pack and landed gracefully into a shirt jog before slowing to a walking pace.

'Hi Sam', Steve said,

'Cap', Sam replied with a small salute, 'Big city not working out I hear?'

'Bit noisy at the minute'.

'It's okay. Fresh air'll do you good. Good thing ya hadn't started movin' out properly huh?'

Loki was still glaring at the slightly wavering orange dots on his arm. Steve was slightly surprised at this but then again perhaps on Asgard a flying man wasn't unusual. Sam wasn't even the most unusual one on their team after all.

'I thought Loki would be taller', Sam said, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

Steve could see from Loki's subtle sizing up of Sam's pack that he did not consider him a threat.  
Loki had insisted on changing his clothes as they had travelled up the long drive to the base. Instead of his casual 'Midgardian' clothes, he was wearing a green jerkin, black leggings, gloves and boots. As he had finished conjuring a gold headband (complete with a 'V' shape reminiscent of horns), he had explained to Steve it was standard armour worn by young Asgardians.

'Just in case', Loki had said.

Now, Loki responded to the Falcon's assessment with one of his own.

'I thought an Avenger would be more impressive', Loki said snidely.

'Cute', Sam deadpanned, 'You know: for an invading warlord'.

'You'll get used to him', Steve promised.

'We'll see', Sam said, goggles showing readouts as he sized Loki up, 'Thor's already briefed us. Anyone that could make it is inside'.

'Okay', Steve acknowledged before turning to Loki, 'Loki, Falcon's going to take you to the canteen'.

'I am?' Sam asked.

'Falcon?' Loki sounded out disparagingly.

'I want you to stay there until either I or Sam come get you', Steve continued, ignoring both reactions, 'Understand?'

Loki nodded.

'While there, do not destroy anything or anyone. Got it?' Steve concluded.

Loki nodded again.

'You may use this to get yourself a snack', Steve said and handed Loki the cash card for the base.

Loki pocketed it with an abashed look. Falcon raised an eyebrow.

'Thor wasn't kidding', he said, 'You have got him well trained-Ow!'

'Loki', Steve warned as Falcon rubbed the back of his leg where Loki had kicked him.

'Not in the canteen yet', Loki shrugged.

Steve used his access card and unlocked his quarters.  
As expected, despite some routine cleaning by the staff, they were in the exact same shape he had left them. Most of his belongings were here: he had only taken the necessities to the flat he had managed to acquire in Brooklyn. The room also had a guest bedroom. Tony had helped redesign the old base for Avengers use and felt it was important to have a room for guests to use when visiting. Steve hadn't seen the point at the time (outside of the team he had few friends) but now he was grateful for Tony's foresight. It would be easier to keep an eye on Loki if he was already familiar with the living arrangement where he had his own room. The rooms were also covered by security cameras whose footage could be accessed at a moment's notice from the bedroom itself, provided the correct Avengers ID was used.  
Steve's suite had a kitchen, a bathroom and a living room along with the two bedrooms. He hadn't messed around with anything very much but boasted an impressive DVD collection which were mostly donations from Tony Stark's 'Help Captain Catch Up Drive' he had announced in the canteen. Ever since Tony had announced it, Steve had been inundated with 'donations' from various people on the base: everything from CDs he should listen to to 'must see' movies had appeared in his quarters. It had really helped him narrow down his list of things he should experience but now it was getting ridiculous. He had been forced to put up a sign before he left listing everything he had received to stop people wasting money. He had lost track of how many copies of 'The Lord of the Rings' (books and movies) he had been given and he could open his own record store with the amount of music albums he received. Record store? No: was it music store? Was there even a store at all anymore or did people just buy music online? He put the two boxes that had still been sent to him regardless of his canteen note in his room then headed back out into the corridor.  
Sam was waiting for him out in the hall.

'All okay?' Steve asked as he locked his door.

'As far as okay goes', Sam says falling into step beside Steve, 'What kind of kid doesn't like chocolate pudding?'

'Did he want anything?'

'He asked about bacon but hot food's off 'cause of the security lockdown. I said he only had himself to blame'.

Steve smiled. At least Loki's exposure to human culture seemed to be taking some form of root.

'He didn't laugh huh?' Steve chuckled.

'Doesn't a 'god of mischief' need a sense of humour?' Sam asked.

'His works differently to ours', Steve said, 'He just doesn't appreciate you'.

'You know I totally expected him to use that card of yours to buy every scrap of food in the building or something?'

''What for?'

'So nobody else could have it I guess? Tony says this guy has the gold medals for puppies kicked and candies stolen from babies'.

'Not his style. So who's here Sam?'

'Still no word on Banner and Thor's back in Asgard dealin' with whatever Pandora's box he picked up in London. Clint wouldn't come'.

'Wouldn't or couldn't?'

'He said 'take your pick'. Wanda's out for a run: she won't be back for an hour or so. Natasha and Vision are waiting in the gym then there's me and you and-'

Sam trailed off as something seemed to have occurred to him.

'Did you say Tony was here?' Steve asked, the same thought occurring to him.

'Yeeeah', Sam said.

'Where is he right now?' Steve asked.

'I'd better get back to the canteen huh?' Sam said, picking up speed.

Steve nodded and headed to the gym just in case Loki had found a loophole in his instructions to stay in the canteen. They hadn't heard any explosions. Maybe Tony hadn't encountered Loki yet.

Loki had been deliberately avoiding the eyes of anybody that had come in. There had been fewer people coming in since Eric Selvig had left. He had come in a few minutes before, taken one look at Loki, spun on his heel and walked back out again. Word was obviously spreading of his presence there.

'Drink?' a familiar voice offered.

Loki's lip curled as he identified the intruder to his quiet surroundings.  
Tony Stark was standing beside the drinks dispenser, having forsaken his 'Iron Man' suit for a superbly tailored grey pinstripe suit. He didn't wait for Loki's answer before grabbing a cup and filling it with orange soda. He brought it over and set it down on the table in front of Loki. Tony seemed to consider something was missing and, after making the necessary detour, plonked a green, crazy straw in the cup.

'Would get you somethin' stronger but you're underage', he shrugged, 'I owed you one from last time. You remember? In my penthouse? We were all there? You may have had a concussion at the time?'

'I only look underage', Loki said, ignoring Tony's jibes. It was not easy.

'If I had a nickel for every time I heard that', Tony muttered, taking out a hip flask.  
He sipped whatever was inside. He noticed Loki's raised eyebrow and explained.

'Chai tea', he explained, 'Strong stuff'.

'I suppose it depends on your constitution', Loki said coolly.

'So…how'd you like an undestroyed New York?' Tony asked breezily.

'It looked lovely from the ground though I can't comment on the view when plummeting from a building. Or a black hole', Loki said, matching Tony's tone, 'Have you fixed the window?'

'Oh yeah, yeah. Left the impact crater in the floor though. Sentimental value. Not sure if it still fits you'.

'This isn't permanent. How have you been?' Loki asked, continued polite tone doing nothing to disguise the poison in his forced smile.

'Good. Building new suits, cleaning up messes, stopping bad guys'.

'Stressful?'

'Not when there are bad guys to use as stress balls. You guys are squishy'.

'I tried that myself. Your race is very fragile. Even your soldiers are little more than tin men'.

Tony's whole demeanour changed at Loki's stress on the last two words.

'What?' he asked.

'Tin men. Just like you Stark'.

Loki stirred the contents of his cup, fingertip balanced on top of the crazy straw.

'It must be hard relating to regular people from your ivory tower', he continued, 'I've seen your heart and it's colder and harder than mine'.

Tony slammed the hip flask down on the table and leant down to Loki's level, palms on the table surface.

'Listen here you little pre-teen punk', Tony growled, 'I have had it up to here with crazies trying to take over this planet-'

'But we both wanted the same thing for this planet didn't we?' Loki taunted.

Tony glared at him.

''Peace in our time'', Loki quoted, 'Very pretty on paper. The news headlines were less kind I wager'.

He tried to take a drink from his soda but Tony moved the cup out of his reach.

'That's big talk from an amuse bouche', Tony said, 'Then again you're used to being a little leaguer aren't you kid?'

'You're right of course. You did more damage than I ever did'.

He stood and Tony straightened. Man and boy glared at each other.

'How long until it happens again?' Loki asked, eyes glittering.

'It won't', Tony promised.

'Path to Hel. Good intentions'.

'Does my intention to pummel you to a little green pulp count as a 'good intention'?'

He was about to show Loki the convenient Iron Man travel size watch he had developed for meetings such as this one that needed a quick change when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Sam patted Tony: once for warning, once for reassurance.

'It's an understandable one', Sam said, 'But I think there's a line. Come on: we're meeting in the gym'.

'He started it', Tony muttered to Sam as they walked towards the gym.

Loki followed behind, glaring daggers at both mortals and wishing he had some real ones in his pockets. As they passed a cutlery rack, he reached out and picked up a knife. Halting momentarily, he slipped it seamlessly down his boot while pretending to readjust where the material met his leg. It was not a glamorous weapon but its weight was reassuring. As was his training in its use.

'Go ahead Loki', Steve invited.

Loki stepped forward and without looking at his audience began to read from his prepared statement.

The group had gathered in the spacious gym to hear Loki's apology. Steve had decided against the mission room in a bid to keep things more casual. It hadn't worked but at least the tension was undercut somewhat by the open space. Only Avengers had been permitted to attend and the guards had been dismissed following acknowledgement of Steve's order not to harm any SHIELD personnel by Loki. Sam had suggested they all sit in a circle but following a jibe from Tony about 'kumabaya', the idea had been dropped and everyone had just picked a spot.  
Natasha was leaning against the wall, carefully watching Loki's every move. Steve saw she had her stingers primed and attached to her wrists. Tony was sitting back to front on a chair he had unfolded and nodding along with Loki's words. Steve couldn't tell if he was patronising him or not but based on past behaviour he probably was. He certainly didn't look like he believed a word Loki was sayng. Sam looked thoughtful, wings folded at his back. He had taken a spot slightly behind Loki. The final spectator, Vision was standing still as a statue, hands at his sides. Steve was fairly confident though that he was being far from idle. He was probably running all sorts of scans on Loki as he spoke.  
Loki was wrapping up the end of his speech.

'…I did terrible things but I wish to make amends. I know it will be difficult for all those involved. I don't ask for your forgiveness or for your friendship. I have not yet earned either. I merely ask that you believe I am capable of being different. Of being better'.

Loki folded the paper and tucked it away in a pocket. He fought the urge to cross his arms. Steve had carefully coached him on his body language as they had been driving to the base. No folded arms, no rolling eyes, no scoffing, if in doubt bite your tongue…it was a long list. Apparently Steve felt that indulging in any of these behaviours would make the apology seem insincere.  
Loki tried to ignore the sweat building on his forehead and wished (for once) that someone other than him would say something. Steve had been able to protect him so far but even with him on side they were potentially outnumbered. The only benefit was that the green hulking beast did not appear to be present.  
His eyes found their way to Steve, the only 'friendly' presence in the room. He gave Loki a subtle thumbs up under his own crossed arms. Loki felt his face starting to redden as he saw Steve was smiling.  
Movement from the strangest figure in the assembly caught Loki's eye. The cloaked red humanoid was approaching him. Loki looked uncertainly at Steve whose eyes told him to relax.

'Greetings Loki', the creature said, 'I am Vision'.

Curious about the creature's appearance and gratified that somebody had finally said something, Loki responded neutrally.

'You're new', he said.

Vision chuckled.

'Yes. In more ways than one. I applaud your desire to redeem yourself. I too am an outsider. I hope we can help each other'.

Loki shook Vision's outstretched hand and felt a familiar pulse run up his arm. Nobody else seemed to notice, not even Vision. Loki's mouth went dry as his eyes flicked up to Vision's forehead, sudden realization making his stomach roil.  
An Infinity Stone?! Here?! And not just any Infinity Stone but the one that had formerly crowned his sceptre?! How was this possible? The humans must not know what it was! Why else would they mount it in the forehead of a petty construct? Unless the construct was more than he appeared to be?  
Now the lack of contact from Thanos made sense. Loki had dreaded another telepathic message ever since he had left Earth but there had been nothing. Only nightmares of his own brain's design. If the stone had been kept in an energy field or blocked by another mental force (in this case the construct's brain waves) then Thanos could not have used it as a medium to contact Loki.  
Loki felt a rush of gratitude towards Vision as their hands parted.  
For some reason, Vision's acceptance of him seemed to animate the other Avengers. It was almost as if Vision had a deciding vote of some kind.

'Whatcha think Vision?' Sam asked.

'Is he legit?' Tony asked, his face indicating he already thought he had the answer.

Loki's emerging gratitude was quenched somewhat by this question.

'What gives him the right to judge me?!' Loki demanded incredulously.

From touching Vision's hand, Loki had determined his body was synthetic to a certain degree. It was a familiar process to him: the animation of an inanimate object was not difficult magic. Asgardian sorcerers made such constructs to order all the time. Though Vision appeared to have been created through technological wizardry rather than literal wizardry. Constructs such as golems were designed to fulfil simple tasks such as moving heavy objects or carrying food trays not moralistic judgements! Even with an Infinity Stone powering it, a puppet was still a puppet.

'He picked up Mjolnir', Steve said.

'One handed', Tony interjected, 'Coupla times'.

Steve saw Loki's face go through a range of emotions before settling on an ambivalent mix of respect and resentment. It became gradually darker as Vision spoke.

'He has known pain and suffering we cannot begin to imagine. And hatred'.

'We knew that already', Tony interjected, 'Receiving end'.

'You misunderstand', Vision said, eyes narrowing thoughtfully, 'I was speaking of internal hatred'.

'What's that mean?' Sam asked.

'Self-loathing', Natasha clarified which earned her a look of hatred from Loki.

Tony choked on the sip he was taking from his hip flask. This prompted Loki to glare at every person in the room. He got up and marched up to Vision, fists balled at his sides. Steve tensed as he saw the tell-tale signs of Loki's magic reacting. There was a distinctive smell of ozone and small green sparks could be seen moving between Loki's clenched fingers. He wasn't sure how much damage Loki could do, given he was in a depowered state, but he was sure he didn't want to find out.

'What can a machine know of a god?' Loki hissed, glaring at Vision.

Vision met Loki's anger impassively.

'Gods must be believed in to exist', he replied simply, 'To be what we need them to be'.

Vision turned to Steve. Loki looked confused in Vision's sudden lack of attention. The magical sparks died away.

'However', Vision said, giving no sign he had even noticed Loki's magic in the first place, 'Loki has a point in regards to the physical readings previously taken by SHIELD. The recorded results from his time in SHIELD custody are obsolete now given his physical stature has changed so drastically'.

'Good idea', Steve agreed, 'You up for a workout Loki?'

Before Loki could respond, Steve was steering him towards a series of weights. He knew Loki had felt attacked and would need a distraction of some sort before he retaliated. If he did, he didn't fancy his 'young' charge's chances.  
As he got Loki started lifting weights at Steve's instruction, he sensed Vision approaching behind him.  
He turned and met him before his presence antagonised Loki.

'Captain, I thought you should know', Vision said in a quiet tone, 'Loki's body is not as healthy as it appears. I took the liberty of scanning him while he was close to me just now. I detected numerous areas of scar tissue and old breaks in multiple limbs. He appears to be concealing the physical traces with some kind of camouflage'.

Steve glanced at Loki but the god was paying them no attention. He was pumping the weights relentlessly. Most likely envisioning what he would have liked to have done to the mortals who dared question him.

'Is he in any pain?', he asked.

'I don't think so', Vision replied, 'But I would suggest to him that were he to drop the camouflage and appear as he truly is, it could save him valuable magic. Given his supply seems to be somewhat drained'.

'Thanks Vision', Steve said but before he could say more, an awful clanging noise got his attention.

Loki had thrown one of the dumbbells as far as he could. It had impacted on the far wall and left a gigantic crack. The noise had been the force of impact.  
Loki rotated his shoulder socket and shrugged at the group's surprised expressions.

'Could you send Sam over here for a minute?' Steve asked Vision.

'You sure this is a good idea Cap?' Tony asked.

They watched Sam uncouple his flight pack with Natasha's help. Loki was already in the gym's boxing ring.

'If your sidekick gets damaged I'm not lending you Roadie', Tony said as Sam, dressed in his combat fatigues climbed through the ropes to join Loki in the ring.

'It'll be fine. Loki can't hurt any of my friends. It's part of our deal. He won't hurt Falcon and this way Vision can scan him'.

Vision hovered above the two combatants: selecting him to act as referee was a no brainer given his unbiased logical mindset. Not to mention his ability to step in should things go wrong.

'Oh right', Tony said, twiddling his fingers, 'The mystical armband shared only between members of the secret surfer dude brotherhood'.

'Remember fellas: no powers, no suits, no rolling over', Steve said to the two combatants, ignoring Tony's remark.

'All right', Falcon said, taking up a boxing stance, 'Let's see what you got'.

Loki smirked and they began to circle each other.  
Just as Falcon threw the first punch, Steve felt a gentle tap on his shoulder. Natasha jerked her head: she wanted a private talk.

'What is it with you and saving people?' she asked as soon as they were out of hearing range, 'Especially those that don't deserve it?'

They had come out onto the balcony through a sliding glass door built into the gym's large windows. It was getting dark, the sky changing to a rosy purple. The rain had gone off but there was still a chill in the air.

'Kind of my thing', Steve said, slightly irritated at Natasha's sharp tone, ''Hello' to you too by the way'.

'Try 'goodbye' first', Natasha said, 'We don't hear from you in weeks then all of a sudden you show up on the local news harbouring a known fugitive'.

'I just needed some time to clear my head', Steve said, 'Loki just sort of fell into my lap. I was going to tell you'.

'I believe you', Natasha said, 'And you have. I don't know Steve. I mean Bucky I understood you know? He was brainwashed and he was (or is?) your friend. Loki is just…'

She trailed off, seemingly unable to find the words.

'Something else', she eventually settled for, 'You still have to tell Wanda. It's not right to keep this from her. She was asking about him when she saw our reactions to the news'.

'I didn't know she'd be out', Steve said, 'I want to talk to her personally before I introduce him'.

'Because of the sceptre', Natasha said.

'Technically it killed her brother. If Hydra hadn't had it-'

'Then Tony wouldn't have had it. Ultron wouldn't have had it', Natasha finished for him, 'I know Steve. I just wanted to make sure you hadn't told her for the right reasons. You know what happens when secrets are kept on this team'.

Steve nodded.

'How is she?' he asked.

'Better', Natasha said, stretching, 'She goes out every afternoon to practice. If she uses her powers indoors we tend to lose more walls. I think the training's good for her'.

'Did she speak to the SHIELD psychiatrist I called?'

'Yeah', Natasha said as they prepared to head back indoors, 'She's got another session next week. Vision thinks losing her brother may be the reason for her powers getting stronger'.

'You think she's a threat?'

'No. She's just…a little lost at the minute'.

'We all were once right?' Steve asked.

Natasha smiled as they stepped back into the light.

Steve winced as they approached the ring. Sam was struggling. Worst part was that in their absence, Loki had not broken any rules: Vision hadn't moved from his survey position. Loki had Sam's arm in a grip and was slowly pulling it up the small of his back. His other hand was clenched on the back of Sam's neck gradually pushing his head forward.  
Sam was slapping the mat with his other free hand.

'Ah! Ah! Ow! Uncle! Uncle! Aunt! Ease up will ya kid?!' Sam cried.

Loki let him go and Sam took a minute, easing into a sitting position as he rubbed his sore arm.

'He's a kid but he's not a human kid', Steve called.

'How long have you known how to do that?' Sam asked Loki, 'I didn't even see it!'

'Since I was eighty', Loki said, unable to hide the pride he felt at having overpowered Falcon.

'Don't worry. It's not the first time Falcon's been beaten up by a half pint', Tony joked, 'Or a quarter pint. Or a-'

'How'd you find out about that?!' Sam asked in disbelief as he climbed out of the ring.

'About what?' Steve asked as Tony gave a knowing smile at Sam.

'Never mind', Sam grumbled, 'I'm tagging out here. Who's up? Cap?'

Steve was assessing how a potential sparring match might interfere with his magically binding promise to protect Loki when Natasha moved past him.  
She didn't say a word as she climbed into the ring. She smiled at the collective looks of surprise she saw on their faces. Loki showed no surprise: only anticipation.  
Natasha unbuckled her stinger gauntlets and threw them to the side.

'Expecting a handicap?' Loki asked, high on his previous victory.

If he had overpowered a Midgardian twice his size then a female would be-

The next thing he knew he was on his back. As he had extended his arm, the woman had twisted and flipped him over his own shoulder. She stood above him, smiling only through her eyes.  
Loki thought he could hear chuckles from the Avengers watching. He growled as he leapt to his feet and threw a punch. The woman dodged and punched him in the face. It had been a light one, even for a Midgardian, but Loki burnt with indignation. How dare she?! He tried dropping and sweeping a leg beneath the Black Widow but she flipped in mid-air. She touched the top of his head as she somersaulted over him. He backed up and caught Steve's eye. He was amused by this! He was laughing at him! Was this his plan all along?! To humiliate him by luring him into a situation where he could do nothing?! The woman was leaning against the ropes, unconcerned with him: as if he were not a worthy opponent! He felt the telltale weight of the weapon he had taken from the canteen in his boot. He would not be mocked!  
He straightened and relaxed his stance. The woman, realising he was abandoning his aggressive pattern, stopped leaning on the ropes. She ran towards him and flipped, both feet aiming for a kick to his head. He moved one step to the side and as she flew past him, grabbed her hair.  
He yanked her down to earth. As she was dazed, he knelt down and pulled her up by the hair. He dragged her hair back and forced her to expose her throat. He pulled out the knife and-

'Loki! Drop it!' Steve yelled.

Steve was suddenly in the ring. He seemed so much bigger than Loki when he was angry. Loki looked down at the woman's face and saw her eyes were clear. She had let him grab her deliberately. She had known he had a weapon.  
Loki numbly dropped the knife and released Natasha instantly.

'You didn't say 'no weapons'', Loki said defensively.

'That is correct', Vision said, landing outside the ring, 'However, perhaps the Captain thought he did not need to give such an obvious order'.

The lack of spite in Vision's matter-of-fact answer stung Loki more than if he had been directly insulted. He felt heat rush to his face and couldn't meet Steve's disapproving eyes. He hadn't meant to use the knife, just give the woman a bit of a fright. Now he had angered his only ally and what was worse, the woman had known about it all along!

Steve ignored Loki and leant down to help Natasha up. She waved him away and stood up herself.

'It's okay', she said, rubbing her neck, 'I'm okay'.

There was a thin, white imprint of the knife's edge on her neck but Loki had been true to his word: he hadn't pierced the skin.

'You can't expect him to act like a hero', Natasha said coldly, looking at Loki.

Loki gave a visible shudder as he realised all were now focusing on him. Steve saw his eyes dart towards the exits and, just for a moment, he thought he saw the boy's lip quiver.

Loki suddenly leapt from the ring and ran for the door leading to the balcony. Steve made to run after him but stopped when he saw Loki stop at the balcony railing overlooking the grounds. He wasn't running any further.  
He turned to Natasha. To his right, he saw that Tony, Sam and Vison suddenly appeared to be having a very in depth conversation that did not include Natasha and Steve but the way their eyes kept flicking to the two of them, it was obvious it did.

'Loki was wrong to pull that kind of stunt but why jab him like that?' Steve asked Natasha, 'I'll deal with it. He's my responsibility'.

'What jab?' Natasha asked, her face confused.

'Saying you don't expect him to be able to change'.

'No. I said don't expect him to act 'like a hero'', Natasha corrected as she reattached her stingers, 'He's not a hero like you Steve so you can't hold him to the same standards. It's not fair'.

'What do you mean?'

'Don't ever tell him I said this', Natasha said warningly, 'He's like me Steve: that fight proves it! We both have red in our ledgers. Whether you like it or not you can't just scrub that away overnight or pretend to be something you're not. You need to own it: use your skills for good. And if your skills are sneaking around and stabbing people in soft spots then that's what you do. He got me in that fight. It wasn't fair to you but he got the job done. I can respect that'.

'But he nearly stabbed you!'

'But he didn't. I knew he had a weapon down his boot: you could tell from the way he was walking. I wanted to see what he would do with it. If he fell back into old habits…'

She rolled up her sleeve and showed Steve one of her stingers, carefully concealed in a special holder. She tapped her palm and the stinger slid from her sleeve into her hand. Steve knew it wouldn't incapacitate Loki but it would have made him let go. The electrical charge stored in each stinger's tip was no joke.

'He just wanted to scare me', Natasha said, 'If he had really wanted to hurt me, Vision would've stepped in. Or more likely your magic thingy would've stopped him'.

Steve realised this was also true. Loki hadn't changed into a magpie so their contract hadn't been broken. In the diner, Loki hadn't fired on the police but the intent had been enough for the spell to change him.

'Bit of a relief to you huh?' Natasha said, seeing Steve now understood, 'Since you're the one who's gonna have to talk to him about this'.

'You're a regular Mr Miyagi aren't you?' Steve commented, impressed and abashed by his assumptions.

'Jackie Chan?' Natasha prompted, trace of a smile playing on her lips.

'No', Steve said puzzled, 'Was-was he in 'Karate Kid'? I've only seen the first one'.

'Good boy', Natasha said fondly, 'Loki may be reformed but he's not tame so don't treat him like he is. Did you want a handicap when you joined the army? Little scrawny kid but look how dangerous you turned out to be'.

'You think I should get him to wax Tony's car?' Steve asked lightly.

An anguished scream and a loud burst of what sounded like electric static from the balcony put paid to any response from Natasha.


	8. Worthy Opponent

Loki gripped the railing of the balcony so hard he thought his knuckles would burst through his skin.  
How could he have been so stupid?! He had embarrassed Steve and undone any good will he may have generated from his apology.  
And for what?  
Wounded pride?!  
He ran his hands angrily through his hair, nails digging into his scalp.  
He was supposed to be smarter than this! A king wasn't ruled by his emotions!

'Hah, what 'king'?' he mumbled in self reproach.

He took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. None of the Avengers had followed him outside: he could see them talking amongst themselves, no doubt discussing Loki's social mistake. He was grateful they weren't paying attention to him at the minute.  
Maybe he should just leave. Steve would no doubt object which would mean turning into a magpie. But maybe he should just live as a dumb bird, begging for crumbs from old ladies in parks. It would be simple, easy… cowardly, unworthy of him, useless for finding out what he was doing on this miserable planet to begin with…  
The ridiculous suggestion had the strange effect of reassuring him that the breathing exercise was working.  
It was okay. He could fix this. He would apologize to the wom…Natasha. He would apologize to Natasha and promise it wouldn't happen again. It would gall him to grovel to her (when in all likelihood she had deliberately engineered the scenario to reveal Loki's hidden weapon) but it wasn't about satisfying her. It was about making it up to Steve.  
Loki gave a humourless laugh.

'Such a bleeding heart I have', he said, leaning on the railing, anger replaced by a creeping melancholy.

He looked up into the now dark sky, eyes glancing left and right as he tried to discern Asgard's relative position though he knew he had no chance of actually recognising any discerning galactic features. It wasn't home.  
Midgard AKA Earth wasn't home either.  
But was it as miserable as Loki had initially thought?  
The technology was backward, the people were ignorant and the whole planet was practically defenceless. But, Asgard didn't have bacon. Or milkshakes. Or…  
Loki cast a glance over his shoulder and spotted Steve talking with Natasha.  
A friend.  
Loki resumed his survey of the stars, simultaneously confused and pleasantly surprised at the rush of warmth he was feeling in his chest.

Wanda exited the woods and headed for the lights of the base, a spring in her step despite how sweaty she was.  
She had delayed her daily workout because of the rain that morning which meant the ground had been nice and soft to run on when she had gone out that afternoon. She enjoyed her runs in the woods: it gave her time to clear her head. She always stopped at a specific clearing where Natasha had helped her set up punching bags and disposable targets attached to trees and rocks in the area. The goal was simple; just hit the targets as heavy or soft as she liked as long as she announced how hard the blow was going to be beforehand. It had improved both her aim and her control. At first she had missed most of the targets and the ones she had hit had barely wobbled. Now she was routinely replacing those she designated as 'hard' targets; these almost always ended up vaporised. And thanks to Natasha's exercise plan, her stamina had also gotten better: multiple blasts in quick succession no longer exhausted her or gave her a headache.  
She saw the final part of the exercise as she approached the base. A brick wall standing on its own. It was Wanda's challenge to 'get over it'. She had climbed for the first couple of weeks until Natasha had seen her and told her she hadn't meant to climb it though she was impressed by Wanda's resilience in doing so. No. Wanda's challenge was to use her powers to jump it in one attempt.  
She stretched out her calves. Even though this would be done using her abilities, she would still need to get her landing right. She eyed up her target, ran forwards and jumped. She closed her eyes out of nerves as she flew into the air and opened them in a slight panic mere seconds before she hit the ground on the other side of the wall. She beamed as she looked back at the wall and gave it an affectionate slap.  
Waiting on a garden table nearby was the towel she had left for herself on the way out. She grabbed it and rubbed the back of her neck, face and bare legs as she headed towards the steps leading to the balcony. She usually came back to the base via the front door but felt she had earned herself a smoothie before heading back to her room. It was faster to get to the canteen from the gym.  
As she reached the top of the stairs, she caught sight of someone she didn't recognise on the balcony and hastily hid back behind the corner. Despite her getting used to being part of a larger organization, Wanda still retained a healthy nervousness towards new people and this newcomer was strange.  
Peeking back around the corner, Wanda saw the boy hadn't noticed her. He was looking at the stars and mumbling to himself. He was dressed strangely, in a hooded jerkin with boots and gloves. Was he a new Avenger? He was young but it would be nice to have someone closer to her own age around the base. Wanda knew she should talk to him but was becoming uncomfortably aware of her sweat stained pits and too-baggy training top. She wanted to make a good impression after all. She turned to head back down the stairs when a thought occurred to her. She hadn't exercised her mental powers in a while. What was the harm in taking a little peek? She wouldn't look at anything private, just get a feeling of who the newcomer was. See if he was friendly.  
She turned back around and after taking a moment to focus, her eyes flashed red and she looked into his mind.

Loki gasped as a sudden lancing pain cut through his brain. He gripped his head and doubled over.  
A psychic assault?! Here?! But who-  
He suddenly realised someone was screaming behind him. He turned to see a young woman, dressed in shorts, a tshirt and trainers, clutching her own head. He saw tears streaming down her face as her eyes burned crimson. Another magic user?!  
The pain was getting worse as he tried to walk closer to her. Every step took gargantuan effort, his legs felt like they were made of lead. Red electricity sparked along with his own green magical signature as he tried desperately to mentally repel the intruder.

'Get out!' he shouted, 'Get out of my head!'

The girl couldn't hear him over her continued screams. She was shaking her head wildly at things unseen and her words were in another language as she cried out.  
Loki finally reached her and grasped her thin shoulders.  
This did not help. The electricity crackled and increased so much that Loki felt his teeth begin to itch and his hair stand on end. A wild wind sprung up and he felt his arms jolt and fingers lock. He physically couldn't let get go of the strange girl. He felt pressure building behind his eyes and began to gasp, finding it hard to breathe in the aetheric tempest they were generating. He knew he couldn't keep her out much longer: he knew she had already seen some things she shouldn't have. He yelled for help but couldn't even turn to see if any of the Avengers were coming.  
Thankfully the commotion had attracted the attention of everyone in the gym and Loki felt a sudden relief as he was pulled away from the girl.  
Leaning back into the chest of his rescuer, he saw it was Steve, his greying hair showing the telltale early signs of the geis taking hold. As he helped Loki sit down, Loki saw his hair resume its usual blonde colour, his oath to protect Loki fulfilled.  
Loki turned his sweat stained face to the girl and saw her unconscious form being scooped up by Vision. He flew back into the gym and past a sea of concerned faces. Steve patted Loki on the shoulder.

'Stay in the gym', he commanded before following Vision and the girl.

The others left as a group save for Tony Stark.  
He looked down at Loki with undisguised disgust.

'One assassination attempt and beating up a girl?' he said, 'You're slippin' Loki'.

Loki tried to protest his involvement in the girl's actions but Stark was already gone, following the others.  
Standing gingerly to his feet, Loki rubbed his eyes as he entered the brightly lit gym. His body felt strange: he felt like someone was massaging his muscles gently and every now and then a tingling sensation raced up his back. Then suddenly, he felt as if he would explode with energy.  
He fell to his knees, fingers denting the wooden floor with his preternatural grip.  
It was too much! He had to do something!  
Laughing aloud he realised the solution to his problem as well as his incredible good fortune. Could he actually do it now?!  
He stood up and held up his arms, focusing with all his might giving into his body's maddening demands to act. There was only one way to control so much energy.  
He had to grow up!

Vision drifted out of medbay to the waiting group of Avengers.  
Through the window, they could see Wanda sleeping in a bed, her vitals being monitored for safety.

'She is fine', Vision said, 'Just exhausted'.

'What'd the little troll do to her?' Tony asked.

'Actually it was Wanda who was the aggressor here albeit an unintended one', Vision corrected, 'She tried to read Loki's mind and it backfired'.

'He has a shield spell he uses to stop people doing that', Steve said, remembering Loki's time in custody, 'Wanda must've triggered it'.

Vision nodded.

'Loki was trying to break their connection as she began to overwhelm his defences', he explained, 'He just lacked the strength to do it. Had he been in his usual adult form, I don't think Wanda would have been able to read him at all'.

'Okay', Tony said, 'Wasn't him this time: that's fair. But how long until it is? He's not gonna let this go'.

'You don't know that', Steve said, looking in at Wanda.

'When are you guys gonna wake up?' Tony asked in disbelief, 'He's a ticking time bomb'.

'Funny', Natasha said, 'I remember people saying the same thing about you'.

'Well, you know what: they were right', Tony said, 'Yeah, I said it. I don't get it: why are you defending him? He nearly shish kebabed you earlier'.

'A few of us here have made bad choices', Natasha said calmly, 'Loki hasn't tried to hurt anybody that didn't hurt him first'.

'He fired on police officers', Tony said as if explaining something to a slow child, 'I read the news'.

'He didn't', Steve said, 'I was there. He was scared'.

Tony gave a bark of humourless laughter.

'Yeah like a grizzly bear gets scared', he said, 'Or like a great white shark scared'.

'Like a Bruce Banner scared?' Sam interjected.

'That's not fair', Tony snapped, rounding on Sam, 'Difference between a fugitive and a criminal'.

'And Loki's not an animal', Sam said, folding his arms.

'Figures you'd take his side', Tony grumbled, gesturing to Steve.

'There are no sides Tony', Steve said wearily.

'Yeah there are!' Tony insisted, 'We're supposed to be on one and Loki's on the other. Seems simple to me! I mean we're just supposed to take your word for it that you know what you're doing?!'

'He is Captain America', Sam said shrugging.

'Yeah? Then he should know how a democracy works. You guys seriously telling me none of you have problems with Loki being here?'

Tony looked accusingly at each face in turn and threw up his hands when he got no response.

'You know what? Fine!' he snapped, turning to walk away.

'Don't be childish Tony', Steve called after him, frustrated and dismayed at how the conversation was going.

'Sorry grampa, can't seem to help myself around you', Tony said flippantly.

'If you just listen-' Steve said, keeping a careful control of the volume of his voice.

'No. You listen', Tony said angrily, 'That little Minnesotan threw me out a window, wrecked New York, killed innocent people and left us saddled with Cthulu's golden back scratcher. That thing is the reason Sokovia got trashed and the reason we are getting trashed in print!'

'Was that the sceptre or Ultron?' Sam asked but Tony dismissed the distinction with a wave of his hand.

'Listen as a former big bad arms dealer, I know the weapon's not to blame. Its whoever fires the thing'.

'Ultron was a weapon'.

Steve hadn't raised his voice at all but the resultant silence was akin to the kind felt after a gun is fired without warning.  
Sam inhaled a breath that hissed as it passed his gritted teeth.

'Too far', he said quietly.

Tony looked hurt for a split second before it was swallowed by his usual façade of off handed impassivity. His eyes burning with indignation as they glared at Steve were the only indication of the storm raging within him.

'Since we're aiming below the belt now, so's your little pal Bucky', Tony said bitterly, 'You're a soldier Cap and I get that but you're tryin' to save the wrong people here'.

'Well you're not an Avenger anymore so why do you care?!' Steve snapped.

'That's enough!' Natasha said but everyone knew it was too little too late.

Steve felt sick to his stomach. Where had that come from?!

'I dunno', Tony said, voice unusually quiet and gentle, 'I'm just your landlord'.

He walked away but as he reached the door leading outside, he called back once more over his shoulder.

'Landlords are supposed to tell you when you have rats in the building right?'

As Tony slammed the door behind himself, Steve kept his eyes on the floor, feeling utterly ashamed of what he had said. He knew he should run after Tony and apologize but a little insistent voice kept asking 'why can't Tony just trust me?!' So he did nothing, just stood like a useless pillar of stone.

'Come on Sam', Natasha said, 'You said you'd show me the new drone you're working on'.

'Oh…yeah. Right! Yeah I did say exactly that', Sam said, hastening to catch up with Natasha as she left.

Steve turned to walk back towards the gym when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

'Excuse me Captain', Vision said in his usual polite tone, apparently unfazed by the childish argument that had just transpired, 'I was wondering would you mind asking Loki if he wouldn't mind acting as a tutor for Wanda? Their powers seem compatible and he is experienced-'

'Yeah sure Vision, yeah', Steve babbled, only half listening, 'I gotta go but I'll ask him. Okay?'

Vision nodded and returned to Wanda's bedside, carefully watching the monitors.

Steve headed down the corridor towards the gym.  
What had he gone and done now? Was he seriously willing to affect the Avengers on the idea that Loki could change?! Things had started out well but now Steve was doubting the whole enterprise. Funny how much could change in a few hours. No, it wasn't funny. It was tragic. It was hateful.

Why couldn't Tony just trust him?! He had seen a side of Loki that nobody else had! But…was that enough reason to alienate a fire forged friendship in favour of one that might not even be real? How far did Steve even trust Loki?! He was a liar, cruel, mean spirited and ruled by his temper: a potent cocktail that usually yielded disastrous results. But, despite that, Steve found to his utter shock that he actually liked spending time with Loki. It was crazy and totally illogical but there it was. He knew part of it was that he saw a lot of himself in him but that couldn't be the only reason could it?  
Maybe Natasha was right about the 'saving people' thing. Was he standing up for Loki because he couldn't save Bucky? Ignoring valid concerns in favour of letting his heart rule his head?  
As the doors to the gym opened automatically, he shoved all the concerns jostling for attention to the back of mind and focused on finding Loki.

He found him immediately.  
It was hard to ignore a pitch black stallion coming at you at full charge. As it reached Steve, it reared, sharp hooves glinting in the light before cantering off again. It jumped and transformed into a falcon that wheeled and dove in a series of loop-the-loops before swooping back to the ground. It landed gracefully in the centre of the boxing ring and in a flash of green mist, Loki became himself again.

Steve was surprised to see him as an adult again, having left him as a drained looking boy. Loki smiled at his evident confusion.

'You found a training outfit', Steve observed.

Loki looked down at the outfit he had found stowed away in a nearby supply cupboard. It was a bit too big for his skinny frame but he had grown tired of conjuring his own clothes and had wanted to exercise in something he wouldn't mind getting sweaty. And that someone else could hopefully clean for him.

'You feeling okay then?' Steve asked.

'Better than okay', Loki said, stretching his arms, 'That scarlet witch seems to have given me quite the power boost'.

'She's not a witch', Steve said sharply, worried that Tony might be right about Loki not letting Wanda's indiscretion go unpunished.

Loki held up his hands to placate Steve's anger.

'I was not being pejorative', he said, 'For once. She has a great deal of power in her'.

Steve leant against the ropes of the ring.

'I thought you'd be angry with someone trying to read your mind?'

'I know she didn't know what she was doing', Loki said magnanimously, 'Besides the benefit I've experienced far outweighs any discomfort her little indiscretion may have caused me'.

He finished admiring his body and looked at Steve.

'Speaking of which, are you alright?' Loki asked.

'Uh yeah, just a little tense I guess', Steve said, surprised at the genuine concern in Loki's face. He also felt a slight rush of vindication.

'You and I never did finish our bout when I was last here', Loki said.

'I think I remember you losing'.

'Doesn't count', Loki sniffed, 'I wasn't at my best'.

'What about the geis?'

'You can't very well protect me from myself can you? Stronger creatures than you have tried, believe me'.

Steve jumped into the ring and took up a classic pugilist stance. Loki didn't take any stance at all. He began to circle Steve. Steve matched his movements so he was always facing Loki head on.

'No powers', Steve warned, 'Remember?'

'I hadn't thought to use them', Loki smirked, 'Don't need them here'.

Suddenly Loki leapt at him, covering the distance so quickly Steve had trouble keeping track of his movements. He just about managed to dodge the blow Loki aimed for his head but realised too late it was a rabbit punch: a distraction. As a result, he didn't manage to dodge the next punch which impacted with his side. Moving with the blow, Steve spun away, surprised he only felt a dull ache where Loki had hit him. He truly was holding back.  
But that didn't mean Steve had to.  
He kicked out at Loki as he advanced again and managed to knock Loki off balance. Grabbing Loki by the throat he threw him over his shoulder. Loki landed and tumbled, none the worse for wear. In fact he looked as if he relished the challenge.  
Steve knew how he felt.  
In previous sparring matches, he had always had to hold back: one of his gentlest punches could collapse a man's cheekbone. But now his blood was pumping! Punching bag after bag was not the same as outmatching or outwitting a real opponent. Despite his relief that the world had not had another war on the scale he had experienced, he had to admit he sometimes missed the thrill of combat.  
Loki took advantage of Steve's distraction to grab his arm and, twirling rapidly, twisted it up Steve's back. Steve formed his other hand into a fist and punched Loki hard in the stomach. Loki grunted but didn't let go. Steve changed tactics and threw himself forward. Loki cried out as he was dragged down by Steve's strength and the pair tumbled over each other. As they rolled, Steve managed to extract his arm. They landed hard on the matt, Loki pinned beneath Steve.  
Steve moved around so he was pinning Loki by the shoulders but was shocked at what he saw beneath him.

'Wouldn't hit a woman would you?' Loki asked, her voice sultry and silky.

Her green eyes gleamed in her high-cheekboned face and she mimed a kiss at him, smirking. Her face was flushed and her luscious curled hair shone in the light. Steve had to physically halt his eyes from travelling downwards towards the conspicuous lumps in her t-shirt.  
Loki, again sensing a distraction, kicked her leg upwards and using it as leverage, flipped Steve. She straddled him, flicking her hair out of her face, feigning boredom.

'I wouldn't hit a lady', Steve corrected.

Loki suddenly found herself flying forward as Steve kicked upwards with both of his legs. She was flung off of Steve's body. Steve rolled backwards onto his knees.  
Seeing there was no further value in the disguise, Loki resumed his male gender.

'Can't blame a girl for trying', he said.

'Yeah, you hit like one', Steve taunted.

Loki bared his teeth and grabbed Steve. He threw him across the ring but Steve stopped himself by grabbing the ropes.

'Tough talk for an old man', Loki laughed.

Steve used the ropes to propel himself forward but Loki caught him. The two grabbed each others hands and pushed against each other, trying to push each other back.

'You're older than me', Steve grunted, trying to angle himself so his centre of gravity was lower.

'Maybe but I don't look it', Loki said, his own voice tense with the effort.

Captain America was not the pushover Loki had anticipated. He had thought he might have had a better chance of winning clean given he seemed back to full strength but Steve's determination was giving him a distinct advantage.  
Loki supposed he should feel frustrated but honestly he was having too much fun!  
But, then again, all good things?

'What are you smiling abo-'

Steve didn't get a chance to finish his sentence as he found himself lifted off his feet by the wrists. Loki was holding him off the ground like an unruly child having a tantrum!  
Loki fell forward and gravity did the rest. He landed on top of Steve and easily pinned him by the wrists, finally exerting his full strength.  
Steve struggled but could not break free. It was an alien feeling. Unsettling but strangely…exciting?  
Loki's eyes were shining as he lowered himself down so he was a hair's breadth away from Steve's face. Steve felt his face flush for some reason and saw his reflection in Loki's green eyes.

'Yield soldier', Loki whispered, 'I've been fighting since I was in the learning hall'.

Trying to ignore the uncomfortable proximity that he could tell that Loki had created on purpose, Steve saw only one way out. It wasn't pretty but it had always proven effective.

'Really?' he asked, 'They teach you this?'

Steve brought a knee up just high enough to graze a very sensitive part of Loki's anatomy. Loki gasped in anticipated pain and Steve threw him off balance. Steve pinned him and hastily counted '1,2,3' while Loki was sputtering in shock and sensitivity.  
Steve leapt up and raised both arms to an imaginary crowd before offering Loki his hand.

'Cheater!' Loki cried, looking begrudgingly impressed as well as angry.

'I didn't cheat. I adapted', Steve corrected.

Loki's indignant anger vanished as he laughed. He took Steve's hand and stood up.

'You remembered', he said as he dusted himself down.

Steve wiped his forehead and realised he was soaked with sweat. It had been a long time since he had just a good workout.

'Come on', he said, 'I think a pair of fossils like us have had enough for the night'.

'Off to a cell I suppose?' Loki asked, smile fading.

'Actually', Steve said, 'I was thinking we could just keep the same arrangement we had in the apartment'.

Loki looked surprised at this but quickly recovered with his usual dry humour.

'What's to stop me from wandering around and finding out every dirty little secret on this base?'

'Nothing I suppose?' Steve shrugged, 'I don't need to babysit you right?'

Loki scowled with dissatisfaction.

'Mischief's not much fun when there's no resistance huh?' Steve smiled, 'But, you are not to leave this base. Understand?'

'Define 'this base''.

'Don't go past the exterior perimeter fence unless accompanied by an Avenger. Okay?'

Loki nodded then after a brief hesitation asked: 'The girl. Will she be alright?'

Steve was taken aback by Loki's concern but in a good way.

'Yeah, she's just a bit drained at the minute', he said.

Loki nodded again then changed the subject.

'So, how do you fight when you're actually trying?' he asked, eyes gleaming.

Steve looked unimpressed.

'Keep that up and you can stand outside in the sprinklers', Steve said and smiled with satisfaction as Loki scowled at him, unsure whether he was joking or not.


	9. Facades

The next morning, Loki stood in front of his bedroom mirror, stretching.  
It felt good to be himself again. The problem with shape changing was that no matter how closely your altered form favoured your sensibilities, it never fit as well as your own skin.  
Now, what to wear?  
The wardrobe in the room had a black SHIELD field uniform and boots but Loki thought it formless and mundane. Besides the idea of wearing it sat ill with him: almost as if he were too eager to be one of them. He settled for an old favourite of his, conjuring it from his own restored magic.  
It was the same outfit he had worn when visiting Thor during his forced exile in New Mexico. It was not one of his more tailored, luxurious outfits but it was comfortable and Loki liked how he looked in it. He didn't want to wear his armour for what he planned to do but he wanted to seem in a position of strength.  
His plan would normally be considered an extremely petty one: go get something to eat for breakfast. But the thought of going to the canteen surrounded by resentful, potentially hostile Midgardians was causing his stomach to growl with something other than hunger. He knew it was foolish: nobody would dare say or do anything to incur his wrath! Would they?  
Adjusting the scarf hanging from his shoulders, Loki left his bedroom and closed the door behind him. Loki could hear gentle snores emanating from the shut door that led to Steve's room. He quashed the little voice in his head that suggested he could wait for Steve to awaken before venturing out by walking determinedly out of their shared quarters.  
The base was quiet as Loki had anticipated. He had set the alarm clock in his room for 7am so he could explore the base at his own pace. Despite what he said to Steve, he did not plan to venture into any restricted areas. He liked the arrangement he had and wasn't about to do anything to jeopardise it. He followed the corridor towards the canteen and encountered a few people. They did not speak to him but a couple flinched when they saw him coming and he felt their eyes burning into his back as he passed. He pretended not to notice and held his head up high.  
As he turned a corner, he saw the Avenger called Falcon approaching, munching on a bagel. He saw Loki and swallowed his mouthful.

'Mornin'', he said, not light enough to be overcompensating but not easy enough to be casual.

Loki nodded in acknowledgment, unsure of what else to say. The Falcon seemed about to say something but decided against it and continued his journey in the direction Loki had come. Loki didn't blame him: in fact he was grateful he had avoided what was sure to be an uncomfortable conversation.

As he entered the canteen, a hush fell over the room. There were only about twenty SHIELD personnel that Loki could see at a glance scattered around the various tables but he was fairly sure every one of them was staring at him. He walked past them, trying to ignore how loud his footsteps sounded in the sudden silence. Then the whispers started. The nudges. The dark looks in his direction. Couldn't they try to be subtle about it?! Despite the fact he was stronger than any of them, Loki felt his heart begin to race. This sensation was unpleasantly familiar: it brought back memories of the learning hall. He had never been popular and his lonely demeanour had made him an easy target for bullies, keen to 'show the princeling his place'.  
But he was not a 'princeling' anymore. It was good that they feared him! They should. He would not retreat just because a few worms dared turn in his direction!  
He selected a table in the corner and sat so his back was facing the wall. It was only when he sat down that he realised that, whilst his chosen seat afforded him an excellent view of the room, it was far away from the breakfast bar. If he wanted something to eat, he would have to cross the room again and suffer the multitude's resentful stares. Even then, what should he eat? He knew he liked bacon but what did Midgardians eat with it at breakfast? He was about to give up on the whole ill-conceived enterprise when he saw the witch come in.

As soon as she locked eyes with Loki, Wanda knew she couldn't go back to her room.  
Even though she had seen him the night before as a child, she knew the lean, pale man in the corner was him. But, how had he known that table was her favourite to sit at?! Had he read her mind the way she had read his?!  
So how was she going to play this? Loki was not looking at her anymore, choosing to gaze out of one of the large windows but she knew he was paying attention to her. Usually she ate in the canteen with Vision but he was busy analysing the data on Loki that he had scanned the night before. But she was alone now. Conscious she was still standing in the doorway, she asked herself: what would Natasha do?

'Fine', she thought, making a decision, 'Let's do this'.

She didn't look at Loki as she began her approach, looking at the illuminated breakfast menu running along an automated screen.  
She could hear whispering as she passed some of the tables and stiffened automatically, all too familiar with hurtful gossip and snide, semi heard remarks. It was not as bad as it had been with Hydra but SHIELD personnel were perfectly capable of casting their own unfounded judgements. They always thought she and Vision couldn't hear the way some of them whispered. Vision always counselled her not to let it get to her but it was hard. Some of what she was hearing said about Loki was all too familiar.

'Sitting there after all he's done?'  
'Can't believe we let something like that in here'.  
'You know I hear that's not even what he really looks like. He's got fangs and red eyes and-'  
'You think he's done somethin' to Cap?'

Wanda, surprisingly, felt a stab of anger. If anyone deserved scorn it was Loki but why didn't these hardened soldiers have the courage to say it to his face?! She knew for a fact that some of them hadn't even been in New York!  
She strode determinedly past the whispers and venom and sat down at the same table as Loki without missing a beat. She was gratified to see Loki's eyes widen as he turned his full attention to the intruder.

'You're not eating?' she asked him.

'I didn't know what to get', Loki said, caution in his voice.

It reminded Wanda of a little boy's confusion at being approached by a girl. It emboldened her somewhat: the look in his eyes was too genuine to be faked.

'I know what to get', she said and left the table.

She returned a few moments later with two styrofoam cups of a steaming, brown liquid. She set one down in front of Loki and sipped her own.

'It's coffee', she said.

Loki took a careful sip and 'hmmed' appreciatively. It was strong but tantalizingly bitter.

'It's also an apology', Wanda said, 'For yesterday'.

Loki was about to say something but a sudden outburst of laughter stopped him. It was a distinctive laughter: the kind of laughter generated by an amusing but incredibly unkind observation. Wanda had to fight the urge to turn around, mouth tightening.

'You're used to it too aren't you?' Loki asked.

Wanda looked at her breakfast companion and saw solidarity in Loki's weary gaze despite it being aimed at the table.

'Perhaps we both are?' Wanda proposed, 'All the more reason we should get to know each other'.

'I'm surprised you want to be anywhere near me after yesterday', Loki said, 'What you saw'.

Wanda felt her face flush as she met Loki's probing stare. She wondered if he could read minds too? She had seen things in Loki's head that she hoped to never see again but that would no doubt visit her in her nightmares.

'I didn't mean to see', she said remorsefully, 'I only meant to-'

'It doesn't matter what you meant to do', Loki said, running a finger distractedly around the rim of his coffee cup.

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Wanda nearly jumped when Loki abruptly spoke.

'Stev-the soldier mentioned you might benefit from a tutor'.

Wanda's eyes narrowed.

'Like I told Vision and you can tell Captain Rogers, I am in control of my powers. I do not need a teacher. Besides I don't think you…'

'Are qualified?' Loki asked, raising an eyebrow, 'Can be trusted? Know how a woman's mind works?'

Wanda looked pensively into the depths of her coffee, unable to think of an answer. She knew Loki liked to play games but she was having a hard time parrying his verbal barbs.  
Then she found herself under assault from a sugar cube.  
It plonked into her coffee cup and vanished.  
Looking up, she saw Loki was using his magic to levitate more cubes out of a nearby dish. They were rotating slowly like a miniature planetarium. She watched him flick a finger and another cube ended up in her coffee.

'Can you stop that?' she asked, confused.

'Of course I can', Loki said, flicking his finger again, 'With but a thought'.

Wanda's coffee was now more sugar than coffee.

'Quit it!' Wanda snapped, 'Why are you doing that?!'

'Seeing how long it takes you to stop me', Loki said airily, 'I don't take on every pupil that comes knocking'.

He telekinetically threw another sugar cube. This one stopped dead just before it made contact with the coffee.

Loki smiled in satisfaction as he saw Wanda's eyes flash blood red.

The sugar cube flew and smashed in granules as it hit the window.

'How's that for knocking?' Wanda asked.

Loki nodded in agreement, then suddenly threw the entire dish of sugar cubes right at her.

Wanda threw up both hands to cover her face and she felt her instinctive magic rush to protect her.  
She heard a strange noise and lowered her hands.  
There was a white pile on the table. It had once been the ceramic dish mixing with pulverised sugar cubes. Wanda's eyes widened. She had only meant to stop it!  
Loki was looking at the pile thoughtfully.  
Wanda, feeling her cheeks burning, started to look around for napkins. Loki held up a hand to stop her. Wanda watched him pass that same hand over the scattered debris. The pile of ash like remains began to move like wind across a sandy beach and reform. Wanda watched Loki conscientiously recreate the bowl and then stack each individual cube back inside. She felt like she was hypnotised. It was such a mundane collection of objects but Loki's magic was beautiful. He made it look effortless, his lean fingers moving like a master pianist's as he invoked the necessary gestures.

'Magic is not something you can turn on and off', Loki said, finishing his manoeuvre, 'It's part of you'.

He looked right into her eyes.

'Why are you afraid of yourself?'

Wanda left the table, trying to ignore the too interested stares of the other people in the canteen. What did he know?! Why was he butting into her business?! She was just trying to be friendly!

She nearly bumped into Steve on his way in. Giving him no time to ask her how she was, she pushed past him, mortified by how easily Loki had gotten to her.

'Makin' friends?' Steve asked, sitting across from Loki.

'Pushing buttons', Loki corrected.

'You'll be sorry when she explodes', Steve joked but his smile faded when he saw Loki's serious expression.

'She has too tight a control on her powers', Loki explained.

'Thought control was a good thing?' Steve asked.

'There's a difference between control and suppression', Loki elaborated, 'She's so focused on what she wants it to do that she pushes it too hard: instead of just doing it, she thinks about it too much. So when something unexpected happens, she doesn't have enough control to react. All the force gets redirected at whatever has caught her attention'.

'You got all that from talking to her just now?' Steve asked, impressed.

'She wasn't born with them', Loki theorised, more to himself than Steve, 'Otherwise she would just take them for granted: use them without thinking. There are no magical teachers on Midgard that I'm aware of. How did she gain these abilities?'

It was good that Loki was at least intrigued by Wanda but Steve wasn't about to start telling him sensitive information Wanda may not want shared with, technically, a 'stranger'.

'That's Wanda's business', Steve said, shrugging, 'Sorry'.

Loki shrugged and finished his coffee.

'How about we get two coffees to go?' Steve offered.

'Upsetting feeding time at the zoo am I?' Loki asked.

Steve glanced behind him and saw the people who had been staring at them (AKA the entire canteen) turn their attention back to their own food and half-hearted attempts at spontaneous conversation.

'You still like doughnuts?' Steve asked, totally unconcerned.

'I'm going to spend the day studying for my next test', Steve said, wiping his mouth, 'But I've thought up a project to keep you busy'.

He held out a notebook to Loki.

Loki wiped his hands free of sugar from the fifth doughnut he had eaten. Free of the scrutiny of others, Loki had traded his conjured clothes for a grey sweatshirt and trousers. He took the notebook from Steve and flipped it open.  
It contained pages and pages of what appeared to be titles, grouped under different headings: music, movie, TV, theatre…  
Loki realised it was a copy of the notebook he had seen Steve use: a portal to the modern world via its cultural multimedia. He sensed Steve looking at him expectantly and wasn't sure what to say.  
He was confused why Steve thought he needed it but he also realised each entry was hand written. This had taken Steve considerable time to write. It was also a brand new notebook: green in colour. Loki's signature colour. Had Steve thought about that when he had decided to write the list in it? Loki had a sneaking suspicion he had which also determined his response.

'Where do I start?' he asked.

'Wherever you like', Steve said, gratified Loki was accepting the challenge, 'I've deliberately only included things you can find here in the room. Should help you kill some time. Who knows? You might even enjoy some of it'.

'How could I not with such tantalizing titles?' Loki commented drily, 'Lady Gaga? Ziggy Stardust? Backstreet Boys?'

'Maybe we should tackle music together', Steve conceded, remembering his culture shock at hearing heavy metal for the first time, 'Pick one of the movies okay?'

He gestured to the huge collection behind him. After watching Loki begin to select titles by cross referencing the notebook, he felt satisfied enough to head to his room to hit the books.

Four hours later, Steve left his room, feeling pleased with his latest practice test scores to find Loki watching him on television.  
It was one of his old propaganda movies from World War Two but it wasn't the first one in the series. It had been a long time since Steve had watched them but he recognised the scene Loki was watching. Captain America and his squad were infiltrating a secret Nazi base to rescue the Princess Brunhilde and defeat the deadly Dr Mindbender. Loki had just gotten to the part with the alligator pit when Steve was about to punch out twelve rubber alligators in quick succession, the Princess clinging to his shoulders helplessly.  
Loki's laughter signalled what he thought of the whole scenario. Steve didn't blame him.  
Despite knowing Loki had somehow found even more ammunition to use against him, Steve realised he had never heard Loki laugh before. Not with genuine amusement at any rate: it was always at someone's expense or tinged with venom.

'Can't get enough of me huh?' Steve asked loudly and smiled when he saw Loki jump.

He must've been truly engrossed for the film to override his normal paranoia.

Loki tried to recover.

'Just seeing what a hero is supposed to look like', Loki smirked, 'I think the spider woman is right: I certainly don't have your talent for 'sneaking around' through use of heavy ordnance'.

'You're not bothered by what she said last night are you?' Steve asked.

Loki stretched, as if to telegraph how 'not bothered' he was.

'Every villain is a hero in their own mind', he said in a tone that signalled the end of that particular conversation route.

He picked up the DVD box. Steve saw he had been right: Loki was on volume five of a set of twelve.

'Why were these hidden at the very end of the bottom shelf?' he asked, voice innocent but eyes glittering with insinuation.

'They weren't what I signed up to do', Steve said, trying to ignore Loki enjoying his self-consciousness, 'They…haven't aged well'.

'You shouldn't be embarrassed', Loki said, examining the cover critically, 'You must've been proud of them once. Why keep them otherwise?'

Steve took the DVD case from Loki and looked at the cover. It was the same as the poster the studios had used to advertise it in cinemas. He couldn't keep a nostalgic smile from his face. He never went to the premieres even though he had been invited every time. He had always waited until he could go see them amongst normal cinema goers. He liked to pretend he was one of them. It was nice to hear people react. The kids gasp and cry out to warn Captain America of danger, the men applauding and whooping when America saved the day, the girls giggling to each other as they made naughty, hushed remarks to each other. Seeing people so happy…it had almost made the movies worthwhile even if all Steve had wanted to do was serve his country on the front lines.

'I guess you're right', Steve said, 'Did you like it?'

'My knowledge of films is sketchy', Loki said, 'But…yes, I think so. Very amusing'.

Loki picked up his notebook and as he flicked through the pages, Steve saw various entries had been marked with colourful sticky notes.

'So that's where those went', Steve thought, 'Looks like he's used the whole pack'.

'I saw the strangest things in the heads of those I controlled with the sceptre', Loki said, eyes scanning the pages, 'At first I assumed they were delusions or glimpses of nightmares. I had no idea humans could use computers to create such realistic illusions'.

'Is that praise I hear?' Steve teased.

'Distinctly grudging in tone I assure you', Loki deadpanned.

'But I get what you mean', Steve said, leaning on the back of the sofa, 'Nobody warned me about anything before I saw 'Jurassic Park' for the first time. I thought all the science mumbo jumbo in it was true!'

He felt a stab of guilt as he remembered who it was who had tried to convince him: Tony had laughed himself sick when Natasha had finally explained the truth to Steve.

'What does 'Jurassic' mean?' Loki asked but then asked another question before Steve could answer, 'Also, this 'Star Wars' on the list appears to fluctuate between seven movies and four, then three and the three in question are technically films four, five and six in the sequence?'

'Yeah, they're…contentious', Steve said, 'Hey…you ever had popcorn?'

'I've had un-popped corn', Loki answered.

Steve picked up the next 'Captain America' movie in the collection and tossed it to Loki.

'Captain America: The Mountains of Mars?' Loki read.

'That one's good. I fight a giant monster', Steve said, 'I'll be back in a minute. You think movies are cool, wait'll you see what a microwave can do'.

Loki went to pop in the disc, wondering what connection there could possibly be between an interspace mission involving a 'giant monster' and a Midgardian territorial squabble.

It was only when Steve felt that his eyes were beginning to itch with strain that he realised he and Loki had been watching for three hours straight. He looked through the blinds and saw the sky was darkening already.

On the TV, the credits rolled for the final movie in the 'Captain America' collection. Despite how 'corny' they seemed now, watching them had brought back good memories. The people he'd worked with, the conversations with the crew, the buzz from the press and the audience. Loki had seemed engaged too, asking Steve questions to get context or just asking about production gossip. Who would've thought a self-styled 'god' would be interested in the 'little people'? Or enjoy popcorn so much: they had easily gotten through four bowls of the stuff!

He was going to ask Loki if he felt like some real food and froze.  
How long had Loki's head been resting on his shoulder? How long had Loki been sleeping?!  
Steve listened to Loki's gentle breathing as he turned to look at him, careful not to disturb him.

He noticed a strange flickering on Loki's face and realised Vison had been right. If he squinted, Steve could see a noticeable scar through a hazy surface: Loki was still using magic to hide his scars. Steve knew Loki never showed his true blue skinned face but he was surprised that the wounds Loki had shown him during his time imprisoned by SHIELD hadn't healed yet. What kind of weapon could damage someone like Loki so badly?  
He reached over slowly and carefully lifted a strand of hair away from Loki's closed eyes. Loki's eyelids flickered at Steve's gentle movement and he smiled, still asleep. It was odd to see him so peaceful. Usually Loki was so guarded and aware of everything around him but here he was, letting himself be in such a helpless position.  
Loki gave a strange moan as his smile vanished. His brow creased. Realising Loki was having a nightmare, Steve, on impulse, placed a hand on Loki's head. Loki quieted again and Steve felt the softness of Loki's hair beneath his fingers. Loki's smile returned and Steve's heart jumped as he felt Loki move closer to him. He felt a strange shiver creeping up his spine and warmth rush to his face.  
Something about that smile was so…  
Steve took a deep breath and tried to compose himself. His heart was hammering.  
This wasn't right. He wasn't that way!  
Things had moved on since his day but he had never…  
He had felt something for Peggy so he couldn't be…  
Even if he was, he couldn't seriously be feeling that way for Loki?!

Could he?

Suddenly a green light enveloped Loki, blinding Steve. He yanked his hand back, worried he may have triggered another of Loki's subliminal defences.  
Then as quickly as it had come, it was gone.  
So was Loki's adult form.

Kid Loki was blinking blearily but his bared teeth signalled he was well aware of his status. He leapt up and nearly tripped over his overlarge clothes. He gathered them as well as he could and spun about, looking at his body with resentment.

'Temporary', he said angrily before turning his attention to Steve, 'Why didn't you wake me?! I wasted my last hour at full power asleep!'

Steve actually babbled nonsense as a response, too overwhelmed by his own self-discovery but managed to latch onto the one sentence ticking through his brain that made sense.

'Vision said that if you stop masking your scars and show your true form, you could save magic?'

Loki scowled, grabbed the popcorn bowl (still half full with popcorn) and slammed his bedroom door behind him. Steve slapped his own forehead.

Loki locked the door behind him and placed the bowl on his bed. He pulled off the adult sized clothes and threw them in a bundle onto the floor in a fit of childish pique.  
How could he have fallen asleep?! Just his blasted luck: waste his time sleeping and watching pointless movies! How could he let his guard down?! Was it a side effect of the witch's power boost wearing off? Or because…  
He felt safe with Steve.

He heard a knock on the door behind him.

'You should take your own advice you know', Steve's voice said, 'You shouldn't be ashamed. Trust me. We've seen worse here'.

Loki did not dignify that with a response. He hated it when Steve tried to be reasonable and he hated it even more when he was right.  
He heard Steve's footsteps fade as he realised Loki wasn't going to respond. He heard the heavy door leading to the outside corridor close, signalling Steve had left the chambers entirely. Loki felt a fresh flash of annoyance: well, Steve had practically broken down the door hadn't he?!  
Loki ran his hands over his face, realising how countermanding this was.

What was wrong with him?!  
As he lowered his hands, he caught sight of himself in his mirror.  
Sighing and bracing himself, he completely dropped his illusion.  
He met his reflection's red eyes and grimaced, showing sharpened teeth. His bruised looking skin shone in the light of his room, punctuated by ugly pale blue scars: evidence of Thanos' less than tender care. He ran a clawed finger along the markings on his forehead. They were like tattoos or branding: they were too stylised to be random skin markings for a frost giant but he had no idea what they meant.  
He turned his gaze away, unable to stomach looking at it anymore.  
Steve, or rather Vision, had a point. It would save magic: he could sleep like this and make the most of the recharging period.  
But he'd be damned if he would ever let any of them see him like this!  
Especially not Steve. Once was quite enough and for some reason, he wanted to make sure he in particular would never see it again.

'After all', he thought ruefully, 'they don't need further proof of the monster in their midst'.

'It wore off?' Wanda asked, surprised.

She went to her music system and paused the original cast of 'Wicked'. Steve nodded from his position on her couch. Like Steve's rooms, Wanda had her own living room. Steve had originally gone out to clear his head and give Loki time to simmer and cope with his disappointment. But he had found himself drawn to Wanda's room when he had heard her singing. She sang when she was in a good mood: a good time to address the events of that morning in the canteen as well as what had just happened to Loki.

'Just now. Judging from the time, it must've only been good for twenty-four hours', Steve said.

'How is he supposed to teach me then?' Wanda asked.

'You're gonna give it a shot then?' Steve asked, hopeful.

'I don't think I have much choice', Wanda conceded, eyes downcast, 'What if…next time my mistake's bigger than a sugar bowl?'

'I really wish you could've met Bruce Banner properly', Steve said regretfully.

'Me too', Wanda said, guilt creeping into her voice.

They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes until Wanda broke it.

'He scares me'.

She sat beside Steve, fingers twiddling distractedly.

'The things I saw in his head', she said, voice quiet, 'The things he survived. It scares me that he is not scared'.

Steve understood Wanda's perception but he also now understood Loki. He truly was a master of illusion. Fighting down his own confused feelings about Loki so he could better reassure Wanda, he shook his head.

'I think he just hides it better', Steve said thoughtfully.

'We all try', Wanda said sadly, 'Don't we?'

Steve nodded.

After a few further moments of silence, Wanda nodded her consent.

'I'll do it'.

Recognising how hard it was to ask for help like she had, Steve placed a hand on Wanda's shoulder. It felt thin and small beneath his hand.

'You can do this', Steve said, 'I believe in you'.

'Let's hope it's not misplaced. In either of us', Wanda thought mutinously despite herself, stomach churning with butterflies as she thought of the training to come.


	10. The Wizard and Wanda

'Are you trying to make me look bad?'

Wanda cried out as the water balloon she had been levitating suddenly exploded. Shaking her wet hair out of her eyes, she spun around angrily. Loki, the source of the whisper in her ear, eyed the fragments of the balloon critically.

'Don't sneak up on me like that!' she snapped.

Loki crossed his arms, unimpressed.

'Would you prefer a tap on the shoulder next time?' he asked patronisingly, 'I'm sure your enemies will be every bit as courteous'.

'But you were over-' Wanda began but stopped when she realised Loki still seemed to be standing where he had been previously observing her. As she watched, the copy dissolved into nothing.

'Why are you so on edge?!' Loki demanded, 'We've been at this for four days now! How are you supposed to defend this planet when you can't even levitate multiple water balloons on command?!'

'I don't know!' Wanda cried, 'I never train like this! I just call on my powers and they come! This feels harder than it should!'

'It's perfectly simple!' Loki retorted, 'The water balloons are fragile so you must levitate them without allowing either the force of your magic or their own weight to burst them. It's simple! Also, we talked about your finger positioning. You have magic at your fingertips, not arthritis!'

Wanda rubbed her hands self-consciously.

'It just works that way', she said, 'I am trying'.

'May the World Ash give me strength', Loki groaned, 'I knew this was going to be difficult but-'

'Then why even try to teach me?!' Wanda snapped.

'Because someone has to'.

'Why do you care if I blow up a building by accident?! Or brainwash everyone?!'

'I don't but that's big talk from someone who can't even lift a water balloon! I know you're more powerful than this. You know you're more powerful than this! So why are you wasting both of our time by pretending you're not?!'

'I'm not pretending!'

'Yes you are. You're pretending you're not a witch'.

'Don't call me that!'

'Why not? Am I wrong witch?'

'I'm warning you'.

'Getting under your skin am I?'

'Shut up!' Wanda yelled, eyes glowing blood red.

'All that power at your fingertips and you can't even shut me up can you? Wi-'

Loki stopped his taunting as a water balloon smashed on the ground beside him. Looking up, he saw no less than thirty water balloons hovering above his head threateningly. Wanda followed his concerned gaze and blinked in surprise at what she had done.  
She broke her concentration.  
Wanda gasped and the balloons fell. Loki dove out of the way to avoid the splash.  
He rolled on the grass and pumped a fist into the air.

'Yes!' he cried triumphantly, 'There it is! A whole basket all at once! You…'

He trailed off when he saw Wanda's face. She had not moved from where she had been standing so had been in direct line of fire when she had dropped the water balloons. She parted her sodden hair and looked down ruefully at her soaked clothes. Loki saw her lip quiver and she sniffed.

'As far as I am aware, water balloons are not sentient', Loki said, confused, 'No need to mourn them'.

'I'm tired', Wanda said in a tight voice, 'I'm going to sit down'.

She walked a few feet away and sat on a wooden beam that served as a crude bench. She looked so abjectly miserable that Loki felt the unfamiliar stirrings of shame in his stomach. After a few minutes of not knowing what to say, he walked over to her. Hearing no protest from Wanda at his increased proximity, he waved a hand and Wanda's clothes and hair dried instantly.

'Thanks', she said.

Loki sat beside her.

'What did your powers do that scared you?' Loki asked, 'There has to be a reason. Some event'.

'You really want to know?' Wanda asked warily.

'I asked didn't I?' Loki said.

Wanda took a deep breath.

'You know who Ultron is?' she asked.

Loki nodded.

'I ripped out…I'm the one who killed him'.

Loki looked at her but she only had eyes for the ground. Still, her regret and fear was palpable.

'It was a machine. What's more it was bent on your world's destruction', Loki said, legitimately confused by Wanda's conflicting feelings.

'That's not it. I know we had to stop him', Wanda said, eyes alight as she relived the memory, 'But after, when the rage died away, I realised it was just so…I mean it was…'

She couldn't bring herself to say the word so Loki did it for her.

'Easy', he finished.

Wanda nodded.

'That's why you hold back', Loki said, the pieces falling into place.

Now he understood. Magic was a potent force and a dangerous weapon when unsheathed in anger. He remembered how he had felt when he had first lost control. Someone had whispered something as he had passed. He couldn't remember what exactly but his instinctive magical outburst had caused every glass on a nearby table to spontaneously shatter. The floor was covered with so much glass Loki could see himself in a thousand reflections. All bearing the same confused, scared expression.  
Oblivious to Loki's reminiscing, Wanda nodded again.

'What did Ultron do to make you so angry?' Loki asked quietly, already knowing only a personal attack against Wanda could have triggered such a violent response.

'He killed my brother', Wanda said emotionlessly before bursting into tears.

Loki didn't know what to do.

Throwing his arm around her would not be appropriate and he was no good at soothing platitudes. Even if he was, he doubted Wanda would have believed him.  
Looking around uneasily, he saw the fragments of water balloon material dotted here and there on the grass. Focusing and praying he had enough magic, he levitated each fragment into the air and began to reshape them. Soon there were multi-coloured flowers twirling around them. He let one graze the top of Wanda's hair to attract her attention. She looked up at the gentle sensation and a look of wonder began to eclipse her sorrowful expression. She wiped her tears away as she watched the flowers rotate and dance in different patterns.

'It's lovely', Wanda said hoarsely, 'Sorry about this'.

'Don't be', Loki said, gratified his distraction was working.

'Could you teach me how to do this?' Wanda asked, touching one flower with her finger, causing it to spin in mid-air.

'I'm going to ask you to trust me', Loki said abruptly, inspiration rushing into his brain like a tsunami, 'Big ask I know but if you give me that, I will give you what you need'.

'What is that?'

'Control'.

'But we've been trying all week', Wanda said, morosely.

Loki stood up and released his spell, causing the artificial flowers to drift back down to the ground like slow, vibrant raindrops.

'I know now that I haven't been using the right techniques', he said regretfully, 'I was taught using the same ones and to be honest they didn't work for me either'.

'What did?' Wanda asked, looking resignedly at the remains of Loki's visually impressive display.

'Ironically, breaking the rules. Making my magic do what I wanted instead of what some stuffy old tutor told me to. For example…'

Suddenly he was off, bolting across the green, right towards the perimeter fence.

'Hey!' Wanda yelled, giving chase and wondering how such a slight child could move so quickly, 'Steve said you can't go beyond the fence!'

'Who's going to stop me?' Loki yelled over his shoulder.

As he neared the fence, he jumped and with a burst of green magic at his heels, easily cleared the chain link, landing on the other side.  
He gasped as his geis mark started burning and the magic began to take hold.

'Hurry up, hurry up', he mumbled, his voice turning into a magpie's chatter as he transformed.

Wanda leapt the fence, taking her queue from Loki's use of magical agility and telekinetically grabbed him just as he fully transformed into a magpie. The small bird fluttered in the red aura shaped like a hand.

'Gotcha!' Wanda said triumphantly, all trace of her former sorrow swallowed by triumph.

'You may want to let go of me', Loki's disembodied voice said in her mind.

'How can I hear you?' Wanda asked, bringing the bird closer.

Loki tilted his feathered head, responding once again using telepathy.

'You were already in my mind once. Good thing too because I might have time to warn you before-'

A golden light blinded Wanda. Once her vision returned, she dropped Loki in shock.

'…This happens', Loki concluded, trying to extricate herself from the bush she had landed on.

Wanda blushed as red as her coat as she hastily turned away.

'Are you always naked when you change back?!' she asked, flustered.

'Just be grateful I chose to appear in female form', Loki's voice came from behind her, changing in pitch slightly as he reverted to his usual male child shape, 'Nothing you haven't seen before'.

'Very considerate of you', Wanda grumbled, beginning to take off her coat, 'You can use my coat until I can get you some clothes'.

'If only the soldier had been as considerate when dictating the terms of our arrangement', Loki lamented, 'But there's no need. You can turn around now'.

Wanda saw Loki had discarded his Asgardian clothing for modern clothes for some reason.

'How did it wear off?' Wanda asked, 'Steve told me you'd stay a magpie until he said a codeword'.

'I was told not to go beyond the fence unless accompanied by 'an Avenger'', Loki said, gesturing to her as if she were the result of an impressive magic trick, 'You got over that fence just before it took hold completely. No foul, hence, no fowl'.

Wanda, to Loki's chagrin, ignored his wordplay.

'That's another thing: why are we on the other side of the fence?' Wanda asked.

'Why not?' Loki countered, 'Are they holding you prisoner too?'

Wanda shook her head but cast a nervous glance back at the base.

'I think I'll go into the city for the day', Loki said casually, 'I'm tired of that place'.

He began to walk away from Wanda until he felt an insistent tug on his wrist. He raised an eyebrow and Wanda let go.

'No', Wanda said firmly, 'We are going back. Now!'

'Aww you're no fun', Loki complained, kicking a stone in mock petulance.

'Stop that nonsense!' Wanda said, 'You're not really a child'.

'Is it really nonsense to want to change the scenery for a bit?' Loki asked, 'Don't you get bored out here?'

'I like the quiet', Wanda said defensively, 'It's calm and it's-'

'Safe?' Loki interrupted, crossing his arms, 'You're hiding again'.

'I am not', Wanda protested.

'Are too', Loki countered.

'I'm not!'

'Now who's being childish?' Loki smirked mischievously.

Wanda took a deep breath.

'Fine', she said as she exhaled, 'Then let's be childish'.

This time, she began to walk away but in the opposite direction. Loki began to feel the geis trying to take hold as she got further away from him.

'What are you doing?' he asked, feeling a tingling in his fingertips.

'Taking my toys and going home', Wanda said, a satisfied smile at the corners of her mouth, 'You coming bird boy?'

Loki wiggled his fingers in a futile bid to dispel the geis effects but he could already see the golden light forming, ready to begin the process of turning his hands into wing feathers.

'Only if you truly want to go back that water balloon training', he called after her, 'You burst all of them but I think we'll get the same results by bashing our heads off a wall for the rest of the day'.

Wanda paused, one foot on the chain link fence as she prepared to climb back over.

'And you really think a trip to the city will help more?' she asked in disbelief.

'Yes', Loki said simply.

'How?' Wanda asked, intrigued despite herself.

It was comforting to know that in a sense, she held the power here. If anything went wrong or Loki had an ulterior motive, all she had to do was come back to the base.

'Do you trust me?' Loki asked, hopping slightly as his shoes began to form into a magpie's clawed feet.

'No', Wanda deadpanned.

Loki rolled his eyes. Stupid question.

'Alright, let me put it a different way: do you have any better ideas for how to spend the afternoon?!' Loki asked hurriedly.

After a moment's hesitation, Wanda let go of the fence and began to walk back towards Loki. Loki sighed in relief as his encroaching avian features began to recede.

Wanda looked at him, hands on her hips.

'You remind me of someone', she said, eyes scanning Loki.

'Is that a good or bad thing?' Loki asked, conscious of the scrutiny as he began to walk away again. He was gratified to hear Wanda start to follow.

'He usually ended up getting me into trouble', Wanda said, nostalgia underlining her words.

Loki reached up and held a branch out of the way for her.  
She nodded in thanks as he took the lead again.

'That's what brothers do', Loki said quietly as he passed her.

Reassured to hear there was no mockery in Loki's voice and surprised at his insight, Wanda smiled gratefully at his back. Steve was right: Loki truly was a bundle of contradictions.

'How are we going to pay for the bus?' she asked, the more practical aspects of their impromptu expedition suddenly rearing their ugly heads.

Loki, nonplussed, took down a handful of leaves and transmuted them into dollar bills with a single shake. He handed Wanda a bundle of assorted bills. She examined them: Loki had even got each individual president's features right.

'Isn't that using your powers for evil or something?' Wanda asked, hiding how impressed she was at the level of detail.

'Hello, I'm Loki, god of lies and mischief', Loki laughed, 'You may know my brother. He's awfully famous'.

'Would he like to hear about this maybe?' Wanda teased as she tucked the bills into her pocket.

'About Asgardian currency growing on trees?' Loki asked, unperturbed, 'He probably already thinks that to be honest'.

Wanda giggled all the way to the bus stop despite attempts to reign in her reflexive treachery.

'What do you need here?' Wanda asked.

She and Loki were sitting on rooftop across from an apartment building in Brooklyn. Loki had wanted to make a quick stop to pick something up from the apartment he and Captain America had been sharing before coming to the base.

'Just a trinket'.

'That description is suspiciously vague'.

'Testament to it's mundane nature', Loki said, 'Now, focus like I told you. Find the hidden SHIELD agents'.

Wanda looked down again at the area beneath them.

'Why would there still be agents here?' she asked as she scanned, 'They must know nobody's home'.

'They probably assume I've built a hidden doomsday weapon in the attic', Loki deadpanned.

He caught Wanda's eye.

'I did not build a doomsday weapon in the attic', Loki clarified grudgingly, 'Or anywhere else in the building for that matter'.

'Not even a hidden one?' Wanda asked.

'You learn fast', Loki commended, 'But no. Any luck?'

'The jogger is an agent. So is the gardener', Wanda said, 'That's it'.

'You're sure that's all?'

Wanda nodded, double checking for accuracy.

'Yes. I peeked into their minds. They're the only two here and they're both bored out of their minds'.

'Only two? I almost feel insulted', Loki said, 'Alright. I'll be back in a moment'.

Wanda stifled a gasp as Loki leapt off the roof. He vanished for a brief moment but then a magpie, still glowing with a fading green light flew to an open window in Steve's apartment and hopped inside. Wanda watched the agents warily, certain they had spotted something but they seemed content to continue with their designated cover tasks.  
Suddenly, a loud screech attracted her attention. A bald eagle flew from Steve's apartment window, huge wings spread wide as he swooped down. Wanda bit her lip nervously. The eagle divebombed the jogger, causing him to suddenly leap horizontally into the soaked flowerbed. The gardener reached into his overalls for his concealed weapon but the eagle collided with his shoulder, shoving him into a set of trashcans with too much force for a bird, even a bald eagle.  
The eagle, satisfied it had dealt with the agents (and perhaps more so with the attention from bystanders it had attracted with its chaos), flew up and, spreading its wings wide, turned its head to the right and screeched once more. America's emblem in profile.  
Wanda ducked down to avoid being seen as Loki the eagle flew back to their roof.  
He landed and, flapping his wings, shed his disguise. Wanda saw him tuck a piece of paper into his hoodie pocket: obviously the item he had retrieved. He signalled for her to follow him to the fire escape so they could make their getaway. He looked very pleased with himself.

'Very subtle', Wanda teased as they made their way down.

'Subtlety is wasted on the stupid', Loki said, 'Now that my errand's done, what would you like to do? Apart from go back to that dreary base of course'.

Wanda thought about it as they rejoined the throngs of humanity on the sidewalk. Loki took her hand as they walked. Wanda felt a twinge of sadness. Pietro had used to hold her hand when they had gone out in their hometown: Wanda had been always worried about getting lost. He had always played pranks too. Wanda had usually been present and usually of her own free will but when the inevitable fallout happened, Pietro had always gotten the worse punishment or the harsher reprimand. The age old argument always applied: he was older so therefore he should have known better. But to Pietro, it had been worth it to see Wanda smile. Just like she had smiled at Loki's grandstanding a few moments ago. Despite her worry, it had been exciting: just like when she and Pietro had used to feel when fleeing from the victims (themselves rarely innocent) of their joint scheming.

'I was thinking maybe, you could…give another demonstration?' Wanda asked, 'For learning purposes of course! Nothing too bad!'

'Wasn't there mention of an Avengers shopping trip earlier this morning?' Loki asked, an evil smile marring his childish features.

 

'Come on Steve. Just try it on', Natasha said firmly.

Steve frowned at the trenchcoat she was holding.

'It's a woman's coat', he protested, 'You can tell just by looking at it!'

'Then why's it in the men's section?' Natasha asked, rolling her eyes, 'Come on, you might look good in it'.

'You'd look good in a pink ballgown but you don't see me forcing you into one', Steve retorted.

'I would love to see you try', Sam laughed, enjoying the show as he leant on a wall nearby, 'But I don't think you could return it with blood all over it'.

'Do I really need new clothes?' Steve asked, grudgingly taking the trenchcoat, 'I mean, I got a full wardrobe'.

'Yeah full of old man clothes', Sam said, making a gagging motion, 'Steve, you gotta understand: only young people dress in that kind of stuff now. They're called 'hipsters''.

'No, they dress more like homeless people', Natasha corrected as she rifled through a rack of shirts, 'You got the kind of abs you could grate cheese on Steve. Why do you want to cover them up?'

'Its kinda hard to cover anything up these days!' Steve said, pointing at a nearby mannequin, 'Those pants are hanging so low you can see its underwear!'

Sam gave a guffaw of laughter and Natasha bit her lip to stop herself from doing the same.

'And this thing costs seventy bucks!' Steve continued, holding up the trenchcoat's intimidating price tag.

'Would've shown you some designer stuff but I'm worried about your blood pressure', Natasha said, corners of her mouth curling with amusement despite her best efforts.

'This is about getting me a date isn't it?' Steve asked, eyes narrowing in suspicion, 'You're trying to dress me up like a holiday ham before you throw it to a pack of wolves'.

'Listen soldier', Natasha said firmly, 'I'm the one who managed to pry Bruce Banner out of purple pants remember? Not in that way Sam, shut up'.

Sam stifled a knowing giggle with concentrated effort. Both at Natasha's accidental innuendo and also at the sight of Steve in the trenchcoat. The buttons were straining so hard it looked like it was going to tear like paper.

'At least someone's enjoying themselves', Steve grumbled as he looked dispiritedly at his reflection in a mirror.

'You know who knows how to dress?' Sam asked, sadistically adding fuel to the fire, 'Loki. Saw him the other day on the way to the cafeteria. How come he dresses like something out of a snappy catalogue and he's older than you?'

'Because he makes all his clothes himself', Steve said sourly, trying to put images of Loki out of his mind.  
He still didn't understand where those feelings from the other night had come from. Thankfully he hadn't experienced a resurgence, though that was likely due to Loki being trapped back in child form. He had also made sure they had plenty of distractions: they had binge watched a ton of movies when Loki had not been training Wanda.

Steve, finally winning the battle against the trenchcoat's buttons, dropped the garment like a venomous snake.

Natasha grabbed it before it hit the floor and noticed something as she straightened.

'Hey Steve, your wrist is glowing'.

'I know. Been itching for the last ten minutes', Steve said, rubbing the geis mark.

'Your Loki sense?' Natasha asked.

'That's not a thing is it?' Sam asked as his head swivelled, 'Thought you told him to stay at the base? Did we say his name three times or something?'

'Wanda must be with him', Steve said, thinking back to the conditions he had given Loki.

'Why are you both so worried?' Natasha asked.

'Because it's Loki?' Sam said obviously, 'New York's kinda allergic to the guy'.

'So? He's with Wanda' Natasha asked, seemingly more intrigued by the pattern on a light purple shirt she was examining, 'Besides, I don't hear any screaming people or any buildings falling down'.

'Yeah. Makes sense he'd want to get out of the base for a while. Besides, Wanda should keep him from getting into too much trouble right?' Steve suggested, trying to reassure himself as much as the others.

Sam was about to respond with a fittingly witty retort when he was suddenly blinded. Assuming one of the others had thrown a shirt at him, he grabbed it with every intention of throwing it back, only for the material to writhe in his hands and redouble its efforts to bind his head in its embrace.  
Natasha watched as Sam struggled with the scarf around his head bemusedly. No doubt he'd explain this particular comedic routine once it was over but for the life of her, Nat had no idea what kind of punch line it could possibly have.  
She felt something approach behind her and was just in time to tumble out of the way of the trenchcoat Steve had rejected swooping down on her like an overgrown bat. It flew over her head and turned, ready for another attack.  
Steve meanwhile was busy trying to grab a pair of shoes that were taking it in turns to kick him in the backside every time he tried to grab one of them and turned his back on the other. The socks that accompanied them were twirling like nunchucks as they smacked him in the face. Every time he tried to grab one bit of clothing, the other three swarmed him like angry bees.  
Nat leapt up and grabbed the belt of the trenchcoat and dragged it down to Earth, tying it in a large knot as it flapped around, trying to take to the air again.  
Sam had finally gotten hold of the serpentine scarf's head and was pulling it away from his own, the tickly pieces of material at the end tickling his fingers as the scarf tried to bite him.  
Looking around for support or other ideas, he caught the eye of a bewildered sales assistant.

'You gonna help or what?!' he yelled and cursed when the employee ran for it, deciding his pay check did not include dealing with killer fashion items.

A set of terrier logos sewn onto handbags barked in annoyance as Steve backed away from the encroaching footwear and, reaching behind him, pulled off one of a mannequin's arms.  
Waving it like a baseball bat, he pointed it at the socks and shoes in a wordless challenge.  
They flew forwards and Steve swung for each target as it flew for his head. Every one was worthy of a home run. One sock was hit into the rafters, never to be seen again, the other landed in a decorative fountain and sank while the first shoe of two burst in half at the force of Steve's swing. The second shoe's trajectory when hit meant it clocked Sam's killer scarf on the head and the thing suddenly ceased movement, as if it had been knocked out cold. It fell to the floor as the lifeless piece of material it had been.  
The three finally dropped their guards, realising the assault of the suddenly sentient clothes was over. All three also noticed the predominantly red magical aura surrounding the garments vanishing.

'That being said…' Natasha trailed off, looking at the vast mound of clothes they would now have to help clean up, 'Loki may have created a monster'.

'One party pooper coming right up' Sam said, selecting a contact on his Starkphone as the other two began to refold clothes and replace them in their respective places.

 

'What's that?' Loki asked as Wanda emerged from the bookstore she had insisted on calling into.   
Loki had stayed outside while finishing his third hotdog. He had purchased them as a celebratory feast for Wanda's adept use of an animation spell. Once they had both stopped laughing.  
Wanda took her purchase out of its paper bag and showed Loki the cover. A compendium of Norse myths.

'I'm flattered but don't believe everything you read', Loki groaned, 'To think a book that size was cheaper than those hotdogs'.

The pair entered Central Park and found a nice grassy area near a pond. They both settled down on the grass.

'Apparently there are two different prices', Wanda said, folding her legs under her, 'One for tourists. One for New Yorkers'.

'We don't look like tourists', Loki protested.

'I don't think you calling him a (What was it?) 'dragon brained oaf' worked in our favour. It was funny though. He looked so confused!'

'Well it's true', Loki said, 'On Asgard any butcher daring to charge that much for two dog sausages would be called a thief!'

'Hotdogs are not dogs, they're pork', Wanda explained, then caught herself, 'Well…so they say anyway'.

'Still expensive enough even with fake money'.

Wanda gave a sudden start.

'What's the matter?' Loki asked, 'Did they not agree with you?'

'Someone's coming', Wanda said, looking up.

'I'm surprised it's taken this long to be honest', Loki said, 'What took you Vision?'

Wanda jumped as she heard Vision's voice come from behind them. Loki didn't: he simply swivelled around to watch Vision land. He was amused to see Vision had taken the liberty of 'blending in' though nicely pressed trousers and a sweatshirt did little for red, metallic skin and a yellow gem in your forehead. Thankfully Loki and Wanda had chosen an out of the way place for their sojourn.

'Falcon called me', Vision said, 'It took some time for my sensors to locate your magical signatures'.

'You should be impressed', Loki said, 'See, I told you you could hide your aura if you tried'.

Wanda did not look pleased at Loki's encouraging thumbs up.

'You were told not to leave the base', Vision said.

'Correction; not to leave without Avenger supervision', Loki clarified as he pointed to Wanda, 'Exhibit A'.

'Did he force you to leave Wanda?' Vision asked.

'No', Wanda said, sure Vision would be just as surprised as she had been at her decision, 'I wanted to come here'.

'You promised me you would train today', Vision said.

Seeing the guilt growing on Wanda's face, Loki interjected, irritated at Vision's pedantic statements.

'She has been training. She's followed every instruction I've given her. We're making great progress'.

'Really?' Vision asked.

Wanda nodded, buoyed by Loki's defence.

'Would I lie to you?' Loki asked playfully.

'There would be no point', Vision said, 'It is time to go back to the base'.

Wanda began to stand up but Loki pointed an imperious finger at her.

'Sit right where you are'.

Loki sat up and looked at Vision daringly.

'Vision, please repeat the exact words you said to Wanda this morning. You were bringing us orange juice before we began training and you said…'

''Wanda, keep an eye on Loki'', Vision quoted at Loki's prompting.

'Well she has', Loki said simply, 'All day. You never specified we had to stay in the same place'.

'I didn't think I had to specify that', Vision said, a tinge of annoyance breaking through his usual almost monotone voice.

'That's your miscalculation then, not Wanda's', Loki shrugged, 'I like to think that words are like snakes. Handle them carefully or they'll bite you'.

Vision looked perturbed, as if he was trying to reconcile something with himself.

'Please Vision, just a little longer?' Wanda asked gently.

Loki found it almost comical how quickly the robot's demeanour changed when he saw Wanda's pleading eyes. He wondered if Wanda knew how tightly Vision was wrapped around her little finger.

'Very well', Vision acquiesced, 'Be back by 1900 hours or I'm coming back to look for you'.

As he rose into the sky, he seemed to remember something.

'And behave', he pronounced, pointing specifically at Loki.

Loki waved as Vision flew off.

'How did you do that?' Wanda asked, 'I thought he was going to pick us up and carry us back for a minute!'

'Logic: the Achilles' Heel of every robot', Loki said, lying back down, 'At least according to your science fiction movies. Check your book: 'Silvertongue' is one of my epithets'.

'So's 'Skywalker'', Wanda smiled, 'Speaking of science fiction'.

'I'm a better pilot', Loki joked, 'A bold claim I know'.

For the next hour, the pair simply sat where they were. The wind blew through the trees causing sunlight to dance amidst patches of shade.  
Loki was on the verge of dozing off when Wanda hesitantly posed him a question.

'Loki, can I ask you something?'

'If it's about the incident with the horse, I already explained it to the soldier. Ask him'.

'No, I haven't got that far yet'.

'What about the bit where Thor had to wear a dress?'

'Loki', Wanda warned.

'Oh very well. Ask then', Loki said magnanimously.

'Does magic scare people where you come from?'

'Asgardians don't get scared. They just reach for a weapon'.

'Humans get scared'.

Loki lay on his side, propping his head up with a crooked arm. He wondered how long Wanda had been considering this while he had been borderline napping.

'Humans used to be scared of sunsets and falling off the edge of the ocean', he said derisively, 'They used to be afraid of great lummoxes like Thor with his hammer tricks. They spend so much time afraid it's a wonder they get anything done. You shouldn't let them bother you'.

'Were they afraid of you?' Wanda asked, fingers twiddling as he hugged her knees.

'They're still afraid of me. Or haven't you noticed?'

'I'm not afraid of you'.

'Why's that?' Loki asked.

'Well, I was at first but now I realise, without you, I wouldn't be here'.

'Explain', Loki prompted, trying to ignore that Wanda's admission of former fearfulness had stung him. Was it really so surprising?

'I wasn't born with these powers. I got them when I touched the sceptre you left on Earth. My brother and I were willing test subjects for Hydra. Has Cap told you about Hydra?'

'We've met', Loki said, then redirected the conversation before Wanda could press him about the unpleasant memories, 'You say you were 'willing'?'

'At first. We didn't know any better. We were so full of anger and bitterness that it blinded us to any other kind of life. After I lost Pietro, it felt like the sun would never come back but it is starting to peek through the clouds. Sometimes though, I still feel like a weapon: a monster Hydra created and unleashed to destroy the very people I now think of as family'.

Loki sat up properly.  
Why was Wanda opening up like this to him? Did she blame him for her brother's fate? If he was her, he would. His stomach felt like there were snakes coiling in it and he knew it had nothing to do with the questionable Midgardian 'fast food' they had sampled.

'You realise by your logic, that if it were not for me, your brother would perhaps still be alive', he said bluntly.  
Better to dispel the storm clouds than let them gather force. Even if it meant rain.

Despite Loki's expectations of fiery anger and recrimination however, Wanda just looked thoughtful.

'I have thought about that. But no. You did not force us to touch the sceptre. We made our choice. Just as Pietro made his; he gave his life to save others. Thanks to him and the Avengers, I can sit in the sunshine and eat hotdogs, instead of sitting in a cell somewhere'.

Her voice broke and she lowered her head.

'You're not a monster Wanda. You're a child. Look at it this way: at least you're not both'.

'You are not a monster either'.

'Could I have that in writing? I could put it on the fridge. Or mail it to Stark'.

Loki inwardly cursed his inappropriate attempt at humour but Wanda burst out laughing.

'Thank you for today', she said, touching his hand gratefully, 'It's been fun. More fun than I've had in years actually'.

Loki shook her hand companionably.

'Is this the part where we kiss?' he teased.

Wanda drew her hand back, shock written all over her face.

'What?!' she cried, 'No!'

'Usually after a connection like this is made', Loki said with mock hurt, 'the two participants kiss and declare their undying love. At least that's what your 'rom coms' would have me believe'.

Wanda hit him a light punch on his upper arm. Even though it couldn't possibly have hurt a demigod like him, Loki rubbed it exaggeratedly, face twisted in agony.

'Don't believe everything you see on TV', Wanda laughed, 'By the way, have you seen any horror movies yet?'

'Not yet', Loki said.

'When we get back, I'll lend you some of mine', Wanda said, standing up and stretching, 'I am a witch after all'.

'Thought you didn't like to be called that?' Loki teased.

Wanda waved her hand and a succession of small red starbursts flew from her fingers and flew upwards like miniature fireworks.

'You know what?' Wanda said breezily, watching her magic rise into the blue sky, 'It's growing on me'.

'A bald eagle sighted in Brooklyn, clothes coming to life and three stacks of horror movies from Wanda sitting on my table', Steve listed, 'You wouldn't know anything about that would you?'

Loki smiled sheepishly as he closed the door behind him. Steve had obviously been waiting for him to return for a while. He had deliberately been sitting in the armchair directly opposite the door, like a parent waiting for a teenager coming home past curfew. Loki considered lying about his whereabouts but Vision would have told Steve everything by now and it wasn't as if he had been particularly subtle in using his magic that day. So he simply handed Steve what he had in his hoodie pocket.  
Steve raised an eyebrow as he took the carefully folded handkerchief from Loki. From the rustling noise, Loki had folded something inside it.

'What's this?' Steve asked.

'It was supposed to be a gift but I believe it's just become a bribe', Loki said, heart racing as he watched Steve begin to open the handkerchief.

Steve opened the handkerchief and looked at it, eyes widening. A younger version of himself smiled up at him, forever young and happy in the confines of the family photograph Loki had found in the apartment.

'This is why you went to New York today?' Steve asked, touched by Loki's gift, 'To get this?'

'Guilty', Loki said, looking away, 'Everything else was just a bonus'.

Steve carefully placed the photograph on the breakfast bar and said: 'I saw Wanda earlier. She looked very happy. Thank you. You didn't have to do that'.

Steve's kind words made Loki's heart beat so loud, it was as if someone was beating a drum in his ears. Steve's eyes practically lit up when he smiled!

'Yes I did', Loki realised internally, 'Because Wanda needed help and because I wanted to see you happy. I wanted to repay you even in some small way for all you've done. I wanted to do something for you. To prove to people that there's more to me than bad decisions. For them to see me the way you see me.'

He was too distracted by how Steve was smiling at him to form these racing thoughts into words.  
Loki couldn't remember the last time he had felt so good about himself. He knew Steve's smile had much to do with it but he wasn't about to tell him that! He was barely admitting it to himself.

'What are friends for?' he asked lightly, waving a hand.

It was only when Loki had retreated to the safety of his room that he hugged himself with glee.


	11. Skeletons in the Closet

The crowds were cheering for him.  
There was no sign of Odin, Thor or the accursed Avengers. Every eye was on him and both his eyes were locked on his prize: the throne of Asgard. Waiting and prepared: for him. The only one worthy to take it as king. As he stood before it, he turned to his adoring people and raised his hands, exalting in their adoration. They were cheering for him! Not Thor! Him! Their King.  
King Loki!

'Does this make you feel good?' came a voice from behind him.

Feeling embarrassed at being caught indulging in such self-aggrandisement, Loki lowered his arms.

'It certainly doesn't make me feel any worse', he said, the illusion of the cheering crowds crumbling away to reveal the interior of his cell.

His mother (or rather a projection of her since he was forbidden to have visitors) regarded him with that subtle trace of disappointment he had come to loathe.

'I dreamt about you last night', she said.

'No doubt I was married to a nice girl and smiling as I watched Thor squat on the throne with a crown jammed on his thick forehead', he said waspishly.

'You were happy', Frigga said, 'But it did not happen as you describe'.

'Happy?' Loki scoffed, 'Only a dream then. Pure fantasy. Not reality'.

'You should know more than anyone the line between the two can be easily blurred'.

'Some would call that insanity', Loki said.

His mother replied but he couldn't hear her. Her lips moved but her voice was strangely muffled, as if he was hearing it from underwater. Perhaps there was something wrong with her spell; it took a lot of inventive magic to circumvent the magic dampening field of Asgardian cells.  
He moved closer to her and realised she was moving farther away from him as if being pulled down a dark tunnel. He reached for her and suddenly felt gravity shift.  
He yelled as he felt himself falling. His outstretched fingers grasped the edge of a platform.  
The scene had changed. Overhead multitudinous stars twinkled and nebulas hovered. He could see Heimdall's eyrie to his right and realised his fingers were clasping the edge of the rainbow bridge. It was cracking and the light illuminating it was flickering. Heimdall's eyrie was in flames: he could smell the burnt metal. He knew where he was and he yelled in fear as he glanced downwards.  
Past his dangling feet, he could see it.  
The hungry mouth of the portal waiting to drag him to Thanos.  
He tried to pull himself up but knew it was hopeless. It felt as if an invisible hand was pulling him inexorably downwards.  
Downwards to torture, pain and insanity.  
He would not let go! Not this time!

'Help!' he screamed, 'Help me!'

He felt strong fingers grasp his wrist and looked into the face of his saviour.  
Rather than the expected face of his brother however, instead he saw it was Steve who had him held tightly. Loki laughed in sheer relief but stopped abruptly when he saw Steve's face.  
His blue eyes were cold and his lip was curled in disgust.  
Loki saw the wrist Steve was holding had turned blue and was alarmed to realise his illusion had been somehow shattered. He was in his frost giant form.  
It made Loki sick to see Steve look at him with such loathing.  
He tried to climb up but Steve was holding him in place.  
Then he began to loosen his grip on Loki's wrist.

'Don't!' Loki shouted, 'Steve please! Don't let me-!'

Then he was falling, the image of Steve's indifferent face growing farther and farther away as he plummeted. Loki screamed as he was dragged towards the abyss beneath. He knew what was waiting in there.  
Who was waiting in there.  
He was terrified: gritting his teeth so hard he thought they would crack as he gasped and tried desperately to get his brain to work.  
He couldn't go through it again. The darkness, the cold and the pain! The pain!  
He needed help! From anybody! Anywhere!  
He'd do anything!

'Anything?' a sibilant voice whispered.

He realised he had stopped falling, hanging suspended just inside the swirling nightmarish mouth of the abyss. He saw a figure materialising beneath him: shadowy and flickering on the edge of reality. He knew this person from long ago.

'I love it when you beg', it said, its voice husky and feminine, 'So much, I may decide to save you'.

It reached for him with a clawed hand, the fingers grasping for him.

'Just be mine', it finished.

'Yes', Loki gasped desperately, 'Just save me! Please!'

But before he could take his potential saviour's hand he was falling again, towards the growing sound of the cold, hard laughter of the mad titan.  
Loki burned and froze both at once as he fell, the impossible wind stinging his face.  
He felt as if he was dying.  
He was a god and he was dying.  
He didn't want to die!  
He wanted to live!  
He wanted-  
In the midst of the horrors flooding his brain, a face emerged. A smile. Bright blue eyes.  
Steve?  
Loki thrashed and howled, his screams rising to a fever pitch as he-

Fell out of bed and hit the floor with a thud.  
He shot up and extricated himself from his sweat soaked sheets, rubbing the sleep from his wild eyes.  
He leant his head on his knees and took deep breaths.  
Just another nightmare. Just another bad memory his masochistic brain had chosen to warp and torment him with. It was over now. He was safe.  
He wiped his damp face with the corner of his blanket.  
But if he was safe why were his nightmares getting worse?  
Such dreams were often premonitions: his mother often experienced them as a pre-emptive warning of imminent peril but Loki had never displayed the talent. Besides he only ever dreamt of the past.  
Perhaps they were getting worse simply because now he was safe and, not fearing for his life, he had the luxury to muse about past mistakes.  
Maybe he should talk to Steve about-  
He physically shook his head.  
No. No need to worry him with figments of his own troubled mind. Just because he looked like a child did not mean he would run to others for paltry reassurance and comfort. He still had his dignity.  
He looked at the mussed bedsheets lying around him and scoffed. Dignity? Sure.  
He stood up and stretched. Noticing himself in the mirror, he restored his 'human' appearance. Vision's theory had proven useful: sleeping in his 'natural' blue skinned form was helping him save magic, keeping both it and him energised. His magic was still not even close to where it had been but it was a start. Steve had said he was looking healthier the day before.  
That was odd. Why had Steve been in his dream? He'd never been there before.  
But, over the last few weeks, Loki had found himself thinking about the soldier more and more. It was amazing how relaxed he felt around him now. They ate meals together, watched movies and divided up chores like any normal roommates. Sometimes Steve asked him about Asgard and Loki in turn would ask Steve about himself. Steve liked baseball, hated tuna, loved swing music and was a talented painter. As they had worked their way through Wanda's horror movie collection, he had also been amused to discover that Steve hated jump scares.  
Loki, to his surprise, preferred to talk about Steve rather than himself.  
He enjoyed watching Steve talk so openly. The soldier was always so controlled, almost stiff in front of others but during their conversations, that façade slipped away to reveal Steve as he truly was. Beneath the super soldier and the American icon was a lonely but intelligent man, who sometimes felt at odds with everything around him.  
Despite their antagonistic history, Loki could relate to that.  
Even admire that.  
Loki had never felt a rush of happiness like the one he had felt when he saw Steve had framed the photograph he had retrieved for him. Was that how it felt to do something right for the right reasons?  
For the right person?  
Glancing at his alarm clock, he saw he had two minutes until it would go off. He clicked it off halting the alarm before the deadline of 8am.  
He needed a shower.  
A cold one.

Steve came in from his morning run to the sound of the shower running. Glancing at the clock, he wondered how long Loki had been up and why he had decided to rise earlier than usual. Another nightmare maybe? Loki hadn't mentioned anything but Steve had heard him cry out and the dark bags under his eyes were enough evidence of his nocturnal issues.  
Steve had been having some of his own but at the other end of the scale.  
The kind of dreams you wouldn't tell your mother about. The kind that made a mess of your sheets. And more and more he was realising Loki was playing a part in them, sometimes in very exotic ways. His brain never excluded the fact Loki was a shapeshifter from his fantasies.  
He shook his head to dispel the disturbing yet strangely erotic images from his mind as he headed to his bedroom to get changed. He'd jump in the shower after Loki was done.  
His thoughts of Loki in the shower were eclipsed however as he passed the bathroom door and realised Loki had changed the original lyrics of the song he was singing to be much more personal.

'No All-Father's not proud of you.  
No brother acts ashamed.  
And all of Asgard loves you when as a wizard you're acclaimed!'

Steve smiled, amused at the altered lyrics and the revelation that Loki wasn't a bad singer. As he debated telling Wanda that there was now someone else on base who appreciated musical theatre, he noticed Loki had left his bedroom door open. Steve knew he shouldn't go into Loki's bedroom without his permission but Loki was usually so careful about keeping it locked. Had he maybe left the door open deliberately for Steve to enter?  
He decided to stand in the doorway and not actually go inside.

The first thing he noticed was that Loki had begun to personalize his quarters.  
There were books lining every shelf: many of them from the on site library or novels that Loki had purchased during his (supervised) trips to the city with Steve or other Avengers. He had even taken some of Steve's history textbooks and was devouring them at an impressive rate. Steve had asked if he would like to take the exams but Loki had declined stating that 'exams take all the fun out of learning'.  
On the desk, lined neatly in a row were a selection of objects Loki appeared to have gathered during his time at the base.  
The colourful remains of one of the water balloons Wanda had successfully levitated the week before. One of the metal feathers from Falcon's flightpack he had found while out walking in the woods. His own personal base security card that had been issued purely in case of an emergency or evacuation to unlock doors. A small clay statue of a bird that Vision had made during one of his 'artistic experiments'. One of Natasha's 'stingers' that Loki had (somehow) been able to procure. Some trading cards from the Captain America DVDs he had watched with Steve. Steve saw the cards sat slightly apart from the others, laid out individually in sequence.

It was a strange little collection but the items were obviously important to Loki.

'Like a magpie', Steve commented quietly.

Steve realised each one represented a member of the Avengers at the base and remembered what Loki had said about protection and offerings. This was almost like a little shrine: did he see them as protectors now rather than jailors? If so, it was an improvement but Steve would have preferred Loki to see them as friends.  
Just friends.  
Definitely just friends.  
Seeing the messy bedsheets on the floor (and trying to ignore that his subconscious had drawn his attention to the bed), Steve wondered if the temperature was okay for Loki. He liked the temperature of his quarters warm but maybe that was uncomfortable for a frost giant? He knew Loki would never admit it if it did so he made a mental note to turn the thermostat down just in case.  
Looking at the pillow, Steve saw Loki had left a book lying open. He had probably been reading it before dozing off. Steve recognised the book as his autobiography. He knew Loki had already read it. So why read it again? He saw one of the pages Loki had left open had a photograph on it.  
He saw it was of him and Howard Stark with his shield just after it had been painted.  
Steve sighed heavily: the pangs of guilt that had been gradually building over the last few weeks finally jabbing him into action. The fact that Loki didn't have an object for Tony had been a potent visual reminder of his absence.  
Steve took out his Starkphone and dialled one of the numerous numbers listed under Tony's name.  
It looked like Steve would have to be the grown up once again.

'Didn't think you liked museums', Steve commented, holding up the bag as a peace offering.

Tony raised an eyebrow and opened the museum storeroom door a little wider so he could get a better look at the bag. Steve gave it to him and Tony perused the contents.  
Steve had been surprised to hear from Tony's secretary that he was at the museum. After hearing he had been there since 6am that morning, Steve had decided to bring some lunch to help smooth things over.

'Schwarma?' Tony asked.

Steve nodded.

Tony took the bag and left the door open behind him as he walked back into the storeroom. Steve recognised the signal to follow Tony. It was a start.

'I don't but they needed help with something spooky so I said I'd take a look', Tony said, placing the bag on a desk.

Steve saw Tony had two laptops open both crammed with what looked like scanned textbook pages on the monitors. These had been highlighted and clipped.  
They concerned the object sitting on a plinth nearby.  
At first Steve thought it was a meteorite but realised the edges had been smoothed and it was covered with symbols arranged in a spiralling pattern. At its centre was a green stone that seemed to emitting an odd whispering noise. A label beneath it read 'Norn Stone'.

'Spooky', Steve agreed.

'Started glowing a few weeks ago but the sound effects are getting louder', Tony said, waving a hand at the piles of paper and discarded textbooks sitting around the desk, 'I'm trying to figure out why. The runes look familiar?'

'Asgardian?' Steve asked, though he already knew the answer.

'Interesting timing huh? Loki comes back to Earth and this thing starts putting on a light show', Tony said.

'You think Loki has something to do with it?'

'It looks like trouble, he looks like trouble. It glows green, he glows green', Tony extrapolated, 'Doesn't take a genius'.

'You asked Thor about it?' Steve asked.

'Haven't seen him', Tony said, narrowing his eyes, 'Let you in here 'cause I thought you could tell me where he is. And you brought lunch I guess'.

'I haven't seen him either', Steve said, ignoring Tony's jab, 'That's what worries me. Last I saw him he said he was going to investigate who broke Loki out of his cell'.

'You still going with that theory? That he didn't go all Steve McQueen on Asgard?'

'Yeah', Steve said, folding his arms, 'Why?'

'Don't get defensive', Tony said, unwrapping the schwarma and taking a sniff, 'I actually agree with it'.

'You changed your mind', Steve commented, watching Tony take a bite of his wrap.

'After I'd calmed down. And had a drink. Coupla drinks. Maybe a few drinks. Speaking of which-'.

Tony began to rummage in the takeout bag and took out two cans of cola.

'How do you think he got here then?' Steve asked, catching the can Tony tossed to him.

'Got a few theories', Tony said, swallowing another bite, 'If he didn't plan it, it's kinda weird nobody's made contact or taken credit. But then again we don't know what's going on with Asgard. I think whoever let him out is lying low, waiting for a signal of some kind before coming to get him. You noticed anything strange-well, stranger-with Loki?'

'He's mostly been helping Wanda', Steve said, unwrapping his own schwarma.

'Loki? Helping?' Tony asked halting the wrap on its way to his mouth.

'He's like a totally different person Tony. That's what I'm trying to tell you!' Steve said, 'He's learning about Earth, he's getting along better with the team-'

'Not trying to kill them always helps', Tony commented, surprised by Steve's enthusiasm, 'Check you out, all proud of your little pet project'.

'I guess I am. But he hasn't been sleeping well'.

'How do you know how well he sleeps?' Tony asked, scrunching up the packaging now his wrap was finished.

'Seriously?!' Steve snapped, throwing his own wrap down, 'Why would you say that?!'

'What?' Tony asked.

Realising Tony's expression was one of genuine surprise and that he hadn't meant to insinuate anything with his question, Steve tried to backpedal.

'Nothin'. Sorry. I thought you meant-'

But Tony had already made the leap.

'Oh. Oh. No! God no! You and Loki?!'

Tony burst out laughing and Steve tried to join in.

'Yeah, stupid mistake right?' he asked, chuckling, 'Even if there was something between us, I'd never allow it to jeopardise a mission'.

Tony was wiping his eyes free of mirthful tears.

'Or endanger the team's reputation', Steve added.

Tony had stopped laughing, looking at Steve with an odd searching look. Steve wished he could shut up but he couldn't seem to help trying to- to what exactly? Justify how he felt?! What was he feeling anyway?!

'He's my responsibility, that's all', he finished lamely, 'It's a working relationship. That's all'.

Tony was quiet for a while but Steve met his gaze determinedly. He had often see Howard wear the same expression: when he was dissecting an engine or poring over enigma codes.

'Scout's honour?' Tony finally asked.

'Scout's honour', Steve said, giving the traditional salute.

'It' true: boy scouts are terrible liars', Tony smirked, 'Though I guess a few things make a bit more sense now'.

'What things-', Steve began but then held up his hands in frustration, 'Never mind, doesn't matter-regardless of how I feel, if I feel, Loki's making great progress. He deserves a second chance'.

'Here it comes, the 'Cap was right' dance', Tony groaned, 'Knew that schwarma was bait'.

'That's not how it is!' Steve protested, dismayed at the way the conversation was going, 'I didn't come here to gloat Tony. I came here to apologise. Even if Loki isn't dangerous, it doesn't excuse what I said to you. I'm sorry'.

Tony gave little outward reaction to Steve's apology. So little reaction that Steve wondered if he had said something wrong. Until Tony finally spoke.

'You know when I left that night, I was expecting all kinds of rapid response vehicles to end up at the base? I actually drew up a battleplan just in case. Then…nothing'.

'Were you disappointed?' Steve asked.

'I was still pissed off at that point and very drunk so maybe a little bit but when I'd sobered up, I was just relieved'.

Tony looked at Steve levelly.

'I'm glad I was wrong Cap. But that doesn't mean I have to like the little troll'.

'Yeah, he can be hard work', Steve admitted, 'The ego, the sarcasm, the issues with authority-'

'We're still talking about Loki right?' Tony asked, giving a sardonic but somewhat abashed grin.

He dusted off his hands and offered his right.

'I'm sorry too', he said.

The two clasped hands and shook. Tony picked up his can of cola. Recognising the unspoken signal from Tony, Steve picked up his own and they clanked the cans together.

'I'm also sorry to tell you he's too old for you', Tony said with mock seriousness as Steve took a long swallow.

As Steve nearly spat his drink out, gagging with laughter, Tony snapped his fingers.

'Hey, there's a thought: why not have Wanda just age him up again?' he asked.

'How'd you know about that?' Steve asked, wiping his chin free of the liquid that had dribbled out.

'Just because we weren't talking doesn't mean everyone unfriended me', Tony shrugged.

'I've asked Loki about that and he's actually said 'no'', Steve said, 'I think it's a combination of pride and not wanting to put Wanda through the stress again'.

'Leaning more towards the 'pride' thing', Tony mused, 'What about Vision? He's sorta magic in a 'Pinnochio' kinda way'.

'I think if he could help, he would've offered by now', Steve said, looking at the norn stone, 'You think this thing could help him somehow?'

'Maybe', Tony said, looking over his notes, 'As soon as I can figure out what it does. I think it might be a transmitter, like a radio'.

'In that case, have you tried hitting it?' Cap joked and thumped it with his fist, remembering the old temperamental radio he had used at his parent's house.

But as soon as his fist made contact with the stone, he cried out in sudden pain.  
He gripped his right wrist with his left hand, wincing at the burning sensation as his geis mark flared up bright gold.  
He briefly wondered if Loki was doing something he shouldn't be but realised almost immediately the norn stone was to blame for his discomfort.  
It was not just the runes but the whole stone that was now glowing.  
Steve stepped back as he felt the heat beginning to emanate from it.  
He felt Tony come up beside him, trying to get a reading on it using his high tech glasses. Steve could see read outs and graphs dancing across the lenses and Tony's eyes flicking between them. Steve hoped it made sense to Tony.  
Tony mouthed a swear word and Steve saw why when he directed his attention back to the stone. It was beginning to float upwards. Steve made to run forwards but Tony grabbed his shoulder.

'That thing'll roast you like a Thanksgiving turkey!' Tony snapped.

Steve watched Tony roll up his sleeve and press a button on a large watch on his wrist. There was a smash of breaking glass as a red object broke through one of the store room windows. Steve recognised it as an Iron Man gauntlet, no doubt summoned by Tony's watch. The gauntlet flew as Tony directed, placing itself on top of the rising stone. Thrusters built into where the wrist would be kicked into life, trying to push the stone back down. When it had minimal effect, Tony turned a dial on the side of the watch, increasing the power. This seemed to do the trick but it was unclear how long Tony's metallic creation could stand up to the rising heat of the stone.  
Suddenly, with a noise akin to thunder breaking overhead, it no longer mattered as the stone plummeted down, picking up more speed than it should have with the height it had gained. It smashed into the floor of the museum, creating a crater with such force that Steve staggered and Tony was knocked off his feet.  
Steve took a cautious step forwards, watching with fascinated horror as the stone continued to fall through the ground, the heat it was generating apparently enough to melt through the foundations of the museum. The red gauntlet Tony had summoned was now nothing more than a blackened smudge on the top of the sinking stone. Soon, it had vanished from sight completely, into the dark pit it had created.  
Steve leant over the pit, trying to put together what had just happened. He thought he could see something shining at the bottom. Something green that was getting larger.  
Tony had just managed to get back on his feet and come up beside Steve when Steve threw them both back.  
A plume of green fire erupted from the pit. The smoke caused the museum sprinklers to activate, dousing Steve and Tony with a pleasant cooling sensation.  
As they watched, unsure of what to do, what looked like a tree root appeared at the mouth of the hole. It was only when a black shape began to emerge that the Avengers realised a person was pulling themselves out of the hole.  
If it could be called a person.  
The figure was vaguely female judging from the size of its hips and the length of its brittle, white hair but its appearance was far from that of a living women. Its skin was wrinkled and drawn tight across its bones. It had no lips, its yellowed teeth grinning madly from a face reminiscent of dried fruit. It wore tattered remains of a skirt beneath rusted looking armour and a horned helmet was perched atop its tilted head. It raised an old yet obviously sharp sword into the air and gave an ungodly screech that shattered every window Tony had not yet broken. It turned its eyes towards them, two pinpricks of red glaring hatefully from empty sockets. It began to stagger towards them, dragging its sword behind it, its limbs making awful crunching noises as it moved.  
Tony tried to type a command into his watch but the walking corpse struck him with the back of her hand sending him sprawling. This caused Steve to leap into action: he had been temporarily paralyzed by the hideousness of the creature. He threw a heavy vase at the creature, feeling momentary regret as he remembered it was a museum artefact but she sliced it cleanly in two. Forsaking missile weapons, he ran at her and threw a punch but she caught it and pulled him forwards. She grabbed him by the throat and lifted him off his feet into the air.  
Tony, rubbing the back of his head, got to his feet and was forced to cover his ears at the noises the creature was making. It was screeching hoarsely at Steve as he dangled above her, trying to prise her bony fingers from his throat.  
Typing in a code hastily, Tony held up his hand.  
Within a minute, he heard the approach of the second gauntlet from its secret compartment in his car.

'Hey!' he yelled.

The skeleton lady dropped Steve at the sound. She turned her attention to Tony.

'Skeletor got the looks in your family right?!' he said, holding his hand up.

As she began to run at him (the taunting tone understood even if his words weren't), Tony saw the gauntlet fly in. It encased his fist just in time for him to deliver an uppercut to the monster's face. She staggered back and spat out a yellowing tooth, growling as she took a fighting stance, blade held high.

'Nu-uh. We're not doing that', Tony said and fired a repulse blast at her.

It hit her square in her breastplate knocking her back towards the hole.  
She grunted and checked her balance as Tony stood in front of the still prone Steve.  
She threw back her head and screamed again. Tony felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end but that sensation was nothing compared to the feeling in his stomach when he saw more creatures climbing out of the hole. Each one was like the first, decrepit and undead, armed with an assortment of antiquated weapons. As the last ghastly figure crawled out of the pit, the green flames died away instantly. The group was now ten strong.  
Thankfully they didn't seem interested in a fight anymore. One of them, a much larger skeleton with a huge warhammer marched to the wall and smashed it with such force that it crumbled, opening to the city beyond.  
The skeletal women fled as one group through the hole but then split off into smaller factions, running into the New York streets. Passers-by fled and screamed at their approach and soon they were lost to sight.  
Tony half-heartedly took aim at one's retreating back with a missile but lowered his wrist. Too many civilians to get a clear shot and judging from the damage he had done at point blank range, they wouldn't even feel it.  
He ran to Cap's side and leaning down, helped him sit up.

'Okay so norn stone summons 'Iron Maiden' cover girls', Tony said sarcastically, 'Good to know'.

Steve rubbed his neck where the skeletal woman had had her fingers around his throat. He coughed hoarsely as he massaged it.

'You alright?' Tony asked, disturbed by the strength in the creatures. They had thrown Captain America about like a rag doll!

'We gotta get back to base', Steve gasped.

'Why?'

'Didn't you hear what she said?'

'All I heard was screeching and hissing', Tony said, indicating Steve's geis mark 'Then again, I don't have a babelfish as a bracelet'.

'She asked 'Where is the trickster?'', Steve explained, getting to his feet, 'They're here for Loki'.

As sirens began to wail in the distance, Tony sighed.

'You know the only thing worse than being wrong?', he groused, 'Being right'.


	12. Deadline

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back with an update now 'Ragnarok' has been out a while!  
> This fic was started while 'Thor Ragnarok' was still in production. Therefore the depiction of Hela is drawn from the comics (Particularly the young Loki storylines from 'Journey into Mystery and 'Loki Agent of Asgard' rather than the MCU movie.

‘Any luck?’

Sam shook his head as he hung up the phone.

‘Nope. Radio silence’.

Steve nodded. He hadn’t expected Sam to get through to Clint or Natasha but it had been worth a try. They were somewhere in South America chasing a potential lead on Banner and, as per standard mission regulations, were operating incommunicado, hoping to find him before any unfriendly agencies picked up his trail. Steve hoped if Banner was there, they found him soon. 

‘We’ll just have to start without them’, Steve said, turning off the wall mounted TV. 

‘Anything on the news?’ Sam asked, sitting down at the meeting table across from Steve.

‘Nothing. It’s weird’, Steve said, throwing the remote onto the desk, ‘People definitely saw those things but there’s no coverage’.

‘It is New York’, Tony commented from a nearby laptop screen, ‘People see stranger things on the subway. Besides, Fury’s probably doing the ‘Men in Black’ thing’.  
Tony was still in the museum running more tests on the Norn stone and even though he had relocated to an adjacent room for the vid call, the stone’s persistent droning was audible in the background.

‘They’re laying low’, Thor said, ‘Waiting to pick up the scent’.  
Thor had arrived a half hour before the meeting. Heimdall had seen the commotion from the eyrie and summoned him immediately. Thor was not sitting at the table but leaning against a wall, arms folded. 

‘What did you say these things were called again?’ Sam asked, looking at a booklet in front of him.  
It was a series of screen capture taken from the museum’s security cameras showing Steve and Tony engaging the creatures that had emerged from the stone. Sam flicked through the pages, watching the movement transform the series of still images into an animated scene.

‘The Disir’, Loki interjected before Thor could answer, ‘Agents of Hela, the Goddess of Death’.

Loki was sitting to Steve’s left and had been uncharacteristically quiet since Steve’s return to the base a few hours earlier. Steve hadn’t even needed to explain the situation: Loki had already sensed it through the bond created by their geis. It was obvious Loki was worried but Steve knew if he mentioned anything, Loki would never admit it. It was also obvious that Loki knew more about their appearance than he was letting on but there was no point pushing him to admit it without everybody there.  
Steve noted the sympathy on Wanda’s face as she looked at Loki from across the table. Vision sat beside her, eyes distant as he pondered the situation.

‘Okay, we know who’, Tony said, nodding, ‘What about ‘Why’?’

The door opening drew everyone’s attention. Nick Fury entered, carrying a gunmetal box. Without ceremony or greeting, he placed it in the centre of the table.

‘Hopefully this will answer that question’, Fury said, opening the clasps, ‘It was left at Cap’s apartment’.

Fury removed the lid of the box and exposed the contents: a weathered skull with missing teeth engraved with runes and wrapped with bandages. 

Loki saw Wanda’s lip curled at the sight as she sensed the cold aura emanating from the artefact. Vision placed a hand on her shoulder. Loki, fighting the urge to shiver himself, couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy.

Fury pressed a green jewel embedded in the skull’s forehead and it began to rise into the air. It hovered a few feet above the table surface and its teeth began to clatter as smoke billowed from its eye sockets. It wrapped around the skull, shrouding it in a green haze. After a few seconds, Steve and the others realised it was forming a mask like layer over the bone, generating the image of a face. Long black hair cascaded down from the top of the skull and green eyes blazed into life within the sockets as the face of a young girl took shape. Finally, akin to a bow being placed atop a present, a hair decoration shaped like a pair of crossed bones manifested above her right ear. The severed head regarded those assembled haughtily.

‘It seems to be a recorded message’, Fury explained, ‘Spoke in Norwegian originally until an agent tried to talk to it. Should speak English this time’.

‘Who is it?’ Steve whispered.

‘Leah. Herald and handmaiden of Hela’, Loki said looking at the tabletop and not at the apparition.

‘Mortals’, Leah said formally, disembodied head somehow tilted haughtily despite the lack of a neck, ‘Hela, archmistress of the underworld and the goddess of death demands the surrender of Loki Laufeyson, once Odinson, god of mischief and lies, trickster, moonking, the many faced and silvertongued to her care. To this end she has dispatched her chosen warmaidens, the Disir, to retrieve him. As a benevolent goddess, she implores that you do not seek to deny her that what is rightfully hers as she has no love for pointless bloodshed. However, she acknowledges that mortals require time to process such important matters that are beyond their ken. You have three days to give the Disir what they seek. Do this and no harm shall come to you or your plane of existence. Refuse and bring ruin to you, your children and your planet. So speaks Hela, queen of Hel, betrothed of Loki’.

Her message delivered, the image of Leah dissolved into rising smoke, the skull gently descending back into the box. A faint sweet smell filled the air as the smoke dissipated and Fury locked the box once more.

‘Did she just say bretrothed?’ Steve asked, breaking the silence.

‘Loki…’ Thor began but Fury interrupted.

‘Can we expect any Asgardian assistance?’

Thor shook his head.

‘Asgard is honour bound not to interfere with Hela’s business unless it affects Asgard directly. In exchange she safeguards the Asgardian dead. My father will simply say this is Earth’s business and advise that you make a decision quickly. We all know what decision he will recommend’.

Loki wished he could change into a snake or an insect and scuttle under the table. He felt everyone’s stares almost as if they were spotlights. Sweat broke out on his forehead as he awaited the inevitable. They would hand him over. It made sense. They had nothing to gain by protecting him. Then again, perhaps the fact that Steve and Loki were magically linked would be enough to buy him sanctuary? They would feel honour bound to protect their friend surely?!

‘You don’t agree with that’, Fury said to Thor knowingly.

‘No’, Thor replied sternly.

Loki looked at Thor in disbelief as he continued.

‘I cannot take up arms against Hela but I have made a vow to protect this planet. I will help in any way I can’.

‘Me too!’ Wanda promised, smiling at Loki who averted his eyes.

‘So Loki, how did you meet your fiancée?’ Tony asked Loki light heartedly, ‘She seems enthusiastic’. 

Loki had definitely expected Stark to suggest handing him over without waiting three days. Didn't they understand the danger they were in?! Hela was forbidden to set foot on Earth but the only reason the Disir were not attacking anyone was because she had not yet ordered them to do so. Trying to ignore his confusion at the Avengers not obeying Hela's instructions, he answered Stark's question.

‘She found me. We had a great deal in common and eventually we became…involved. Hela taught me many things about magic. She’s the one who showed me the secret tunnels of Asgard’.

‘Is that an Asgardian euphemism or-‘

‘Tony’, Steve warned.

‘Sorry. Bit of nervous humour. Skeleton ladies running amok will do that to you’.

‘But after a few decades of it’, Loki continued, ignoring Tony’s jokes, ‘I realised I was only with her to spite my father, grew out of my rebellious phase and ended it’.

‘Dating what your daddy hated was your rebellious phase?’ Sam asked incredulously.

‘And I thought that was the end of it. But then, I was push…’

Loki caught himself, cleared his throat and corrected his terminology.

‘I fell into the abyss. I fell for what seemed like ages, burning then freezing and in agonised desperation I called out for help. She was the only one to answer. But before she could take my hand, I…escaped without her help. Seems she still intends to ‘save me’’.

Loki cast a glance around the room. Thankfully nobody seemed to have noticed his hesitation. Thanos was a subject for another time. Loki was not ready to talk about those tortures yet. Not even to Steve

‘Could we try explaining to Ray Harryhausen’s cheerleaders that you just don’t need to be ‘saved’?’ Tony suggested.

Steve made to explain but Loki held up a hand.

‘It’s fine. I got the reference’, Loki said.

Steve felt a hint of pride as Loki continued.

‘I could try but, knowing Hela she would simply take that as a statement that there’s nothing getting in the way between us now and drag me to Hel regardless’.

‘So marriage was your end of the bargain?’ Thor asked, ‘Hela would never save you purely out of compassion. In exchange for saving you, you agreed to be with her again?’

‘Yes’, Loki said wearily.

‘Is she a looker?’ Falcon asked, then caught Wanda’s frosty look, ‘I mean, would it really be so bad to marry her? It’s not like it would kill you, right?’

‘Yes it would’, Loki and Thor answered simultaneously.

Catching Thor’s eye, Loki waved a hand, inviting him to elaborate.

‘Loki is not the first paramour Hela has set her eyes on’, Thor said, ‘They rarely last long once in her clutches. The underworld saps the strength of any who venture there and Hela dislikes differences of opinion. She would much rather enslave her husband’s minds instead of working through marital problems. A drooling zombie can’t disagree with her’.

'And Steve would be in danger too thanks to the magic bond between him and Loki', Wanda said, shaking her head.

‘So amiable divorce isn’t an option’, Sam said.

‘I would remind you I was very desperate when I entreated her’, Loki replied, ‘What she lacks in looks she more than makes up for in sheer magical power and the Disir cannot be destroyed by conventional weapons'.

‘'What about magic?' Wanda asked.

'You are not strong enough', Thor said, tone suggesting he knew who was.

‘But I could be'.

‘All eyes turned to Loki again but this time he did not flinch at their scrutiny.

‘'I could stop her', Loki said then turned to Steve, 'And break the bond between us leaving us both free to engage her. But to do that, I need my full magic back. Permanently’.

Loki expected an outcry or at least a token protest. Not nods of understanding and approval. It was an unfamiliar sight.

‘Could Hela have let you out of your cell on Asgard?’ Steve asked.

Loki considered the question and exchanged a look with Thor who eventually nodded.

‘It would have been difficult but not impossible’, Thor acknowledged.

‘Putting Loki here on Earth, in other words, ‘hostile territory’, Tony mused, using air quotes, ‘Gives her the perfect excuse to come and ‘save’ him. Typical ‘exact words’ BS. Lawyers do it all the time’.

‘And she doesn’t have to worry about him fighting back with his magic so weak’, Wanda said then added an abashed, ‘Sorry’.

Loki mustered a small smile to show he was not offended.

‘We can worry about how Loki was liberated later’, Thor said brusquely, ‘It’s best to focus on the here and now. What is our plan of attack?’

‘I’ve already been in contact with a person of interest who specializes in magic’, Fury said, sending an instruction on his phone.

‘Earth has wizards now?’ Thor asked surprised.

‘He prefers 'practitioner of the mystic arts'’, Fury corrected, putting the phone away, ‘He’s in New York helping to keep the Disir contained within the city limits. You’re right that they’re laying low right now but he’s using memory mumbo jumbo on the populace as a precaution to make sure they don’t panic if they spot them. It’s very effective’.

‘Does he have any advice on Loki’s ‘little problem’?’ Tony asked, 'Are we talking a supplement of eye of newt or naked dancing in the moonlight?'

‘Did you really have to say it like that?’ Loki grumbled.

‘The good Doctor can’t come in person', Fury said, holding the meeting room door open, 'But he’s been listening intently to what we've been discussing'.

‘Fury looked pointedly at an empty chair at the table before continuing.

'He's sent over some books that he said might be helpful’.

An agent entered the room pushing a dolly loaded with books of various shapes and sizes stacked high. He was followed by three more agents with three more dollies. 

‘Good luck’, Fury said and followed his agents from the room.

The group looked at the hundreds of volumes with trepidation.

‘So, who’s good at speed reading?’ Sam joked half heartedly.

‘Alright’, Tony said, ready to get down to business, ‘Give me an hour and I’ll be on base-‘

‘If I may make a suggestion?’

Vision, like an ancient statue coming to life, rose from his chair. Loki had been wondering if he had even been listening to the briefing due to his inactivity but it seemed he had been concocting a strategy.

‘I believe it may be best if you keep working on the Norn Stone’, Vision said, ‘Hopefully you can find a way to simply send the Disir back where they came before the three day deadline arrives’.

Tony nodded in agreement.

‘Thor, perhaps you could assist him?’ Vision asked.

‘I’ll do my best’, Thor said, ‘I’m probably more use there anyway. Not much of a reader’.

He picked up Mjolnir from where it had been hanging on a nearby coatrack and turned to leave. As he passed Loki however, he halted. He looked down at his brother, still in his child form. Loki returned the look, brow furrowed in confusion at Thor’s sudden attention. He flinched slightly as Thor raised his massive hand but was startled to feel Thor gently pat his shoulder. It was an awkward attempt at comfort but Loki was amazed to find a lump form in his throat at Thor’s thoughtfulness. Before he could figure out what to say, Thor was gone, the door slamming shut behind him.

‘Meanwhile we hit the books as a Plan B’, Steve said, getting up and rubbing his hands in preparation for the task ahead.

‘Okay’, Tony said from his screen, pulling on his welding gloves, ‘Don’t go summoning Cthulu or anything while we’re gone’.

The laptop screen went black as Tony cut the link and Vision floated over to the dollies. 

‘Steve, Sam, will you assist us in transporting these to my quarters? These dollies will not fit in the elevators’.

Sam nodded and began to immediately gather books into his arms. Steve watched, impressed as Wanda effortlessly levitated two large stacks with her magic. All her practice had really paid off. This made him think of Loki and he was surprised to see he hadn’t moved from his chair. His head was turned away.

‘What’s wrong?’ Steve asked Loki.

Loki sniffed as quietly as he could and scrubbed at his eyes.  
When he had heard the Disir were tracking him, he had fully expected to be handed over on a platter without discussion. Even if they had hesitated because of the geis, Loki knew it would have afforded no protection. Hela would simply kill Steve, drag him down to Hel with Loki or simply shatter the geis herself with her formidable sorcery, uncaring of the consequences on the subjects. Loki could not let that happen but had been at a loss of how to stop it. But nobody had even mentioned it. They had just decided to help him. Even Thor was helping him. Risking their lives for him. He felt unworthy to be in their company and ashamed of having misjudged them. After all they were the ‘heroes’ of this story.  
He didn’t deserve their help.  
He didn’t deserve their…  
Loki was startled at the word that formed in his mind.  
Friendship.  
He had never had real friends before.  
Realising that Steve was waiting for an answer, Loki shook his head and rose from the table.

‘Nothing’s wrong’, Loki said, ‘Let’s get started’.


End file.
